Orterra was engaged by Mango Hill Secondary School to produce a concept plan that would transform a large central courtyard space into a multipurpose retreat and activity zone for students.
The schools main concern with the current space was that it providing little to no shade and that student didn’t have a lot of options to gather during breaks. The design aimed to provide large areas of tree coverage to provide students with areas to site and socialise under the shade of trees, shelters and shade sails.
By creating some changes in the ground levels the large space was broken down into a series of smaller spaces for students to gather. Designed to be constructed in stages over multiple years, Orterra worked with the school to understand their and their students desires for how the space could be transformed to provide areas for rest and relaxation for students, low impact play, and areas to socialise.
One of the main aims of the design was to be able to utilise the skills of the students technical and trade skills to create furniture for the space. We worked with the school to ensure the areas we have identified could accommodate furniture designed and built by the students over the course of the project and years to come.