A biology 'super lab' has opened at St Patrick's College Sutherland, and the completed build is being described as a game-changer for the field of science and applied studies at the school.
The coeducational Catholic high school's latest finished project, 'Alpha Crucis', is an innovative design that was the result of a collaboration between teachers, school leadership, Sydney Catholic Schools and JDH Architects.
The idea was to expand flexible learning spaces - giving students the opportunity to develop their skills beyond a textbook driven classroom.
Year 11 and 12 students across biology, chemistry, earth and environmental, physics, and science extension have been using the science labs, which are also used by more than 900 Year 7-10 students.
There are three industry-standard kitchens for hospitality and food technology, two floors of contemporary learning spaces with breakout areas, multi-purpose areas and a textiles room.
The hospitality room's commercial kitchen fit out includes a full cooking line with ovens, pans, deep fryers and a commercial coffee machine. The space will be utilised by students obtaining a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations.
The physics lab has movable desks to enable space for practical lessons using ramps, trolleys and data loggers, to give students a greater understanding of gravity and motion. The earth and environmental science lab has a university lecture theatre-style set-up.
The rainforest and woodlands ecosystems make use of the balcony space outside of the biology labs, creating opportunities for students to go outdoors to dissect flowers, measure abiotic features including soil pH (acidity or alkalinity), temperature, humidity and wind speed.
"So often, labs are all designed the same way, and it usually represents what is needed for chemistry, so we designed our labs to cater for the requirements of all sciences," St Patrick's Science coordinator, Jennifer Ming, said. "Having access for students to see sustainability in action too, will have definite impacts on their learning."
The building also brings the promise of collaboration with students from primary schools in the area.
"Students take more ownership and pride in their learning if they know they will have to teach the concept to a younger student," Ms Ming said. "COVID-18 has impacted this collaboration, but hopefully we can connect more with our feeder schools through the use of these labs."
Principal Janine Kenney said the new facilities were first envisioned more than 20 years ago in one of four master plans for the St Patrick's site. "These are state-of-the-art facilities which will enhance the teaching and learning experiences of both staff and students ... [and be] a joy to learn and work in," Ms Kenney said.
