Location and Climate

Close-up of tower on south east corner, with Perth city skyline in background

The site is in a predominantly residential area of Perth's western suburbs. Previously, it belonged to the Department of Health and was selected for the new school because it is in the middle of the student catchment of the two former schools. It is well serviced by buses and adjacent to a railway station.

Perth experiences hot, dry summers and cool winters. February mean maximum temperature is 30 degrees Celsius, average July temperature is around 14 degrees Celsius (mean minimum is 9.6). Solar radiation is intense and there is significant diurnal variation. Prevailing summer winds come from west-south-west, usually as welcome cooling afternoon breezes ('the Fremantle doctor').

In these conditions, the major priority is to minimise heat gain into buildings during summer. Building fabric and envelope should be designed to minimise exposure to solar radiation and summer heat; maximise access to cool summer breezes; utilize cool night temperatures for flushing; and minimise heat loss from buildings in winter. Another possibility is exposure of thermal mass for winter heating if this can be done without creating glare problems for occupants.

Building constraints

The site has a fall of 11 metres from south to north, which limited the extent to which prevailing cooling breezes could be taken advantage of (compared to if it had been flat). The middle school which came to be located on the lowest part of the site is thus more sheltered than desirable. But the upper school, on the highest part of the site benefits from south west summer breezes blowing over an open grassed area (oval).

The Subiaco Waste Water Treatment Plant is located 800 metres to the west of the school site. Investigations established that likely occurrence of noticeable odours would not be significant.

Other constraints came from what was already on the site that had to be retained: a heritage building (a former mental institution purpose-designed for returned World War I servicemen) and a hectare of remnant bushland.