Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) was born out of the dream to ensure that children on the autism spectrum have the same opportunities to be engaged in education as non-austistic students. It opened it’s first school in

1971. Today Aspect caters to more than 1200 students in NSW and SA. Aspect aims to equip students with skills to become as independent as possible and successfully partake in their wider communities. Aspect education reaches far beyond educating young students as it also educates adults, organisations, and built environments on how to make their spaces more autism friendly.

Since 2020 we have developed a rewarding relationship with Aspect. The brief was to update three schools to current education standards and to create consistency amongst the schools that was recognisable to students, staff and families.

Fast forward three years and nearly 20 campuses later and the positive impact is astonishing. We have met the brief and more, with a design and delivery that has both improved student focus, and enhanced the teaching experience. You don’t come across more rewarding projects than these.

AUTISM SPECTRUM AUSTRALIA (ASPECT) | FORESTVILLE, NSW

Vern Barnett School was the first Aspect school. It was constructed in 1970 and opened in 1971. Now, 50 years later, the organisation face a growing demand for autism specific education, and the custom designed spaces necessary to cater to their students varying needs.

We managed the project from Masterplan to handover. The thoughtful design team included Design Inc (Architect and Interior Designer), New Eden Design (Landscape Architect), S4B (Services), Adams Engineering (Structure & Civil), PDC (Traffic), Lindsay Perry Access (Access), PWNA (Acoustic) and Citizen (Signage & Wayfinding).

The full scope of construction works was planned in three stages, with a focus on maintaining a live school environment throughout. Structural reconfiguration of classrooms enabled increased footprint, increased natural light, and services upgrades. Custom built joinery houses student calm zones and wet areas that can be closed off when not in use. Significant civil, stormwater, and landscaping work took place in the two BAL FZ bushfire zone playgrounds, with brand new play equipment, water-play, native planting, and a custom built Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA”). A brand new entry now welcomes visitors on arrival, and a new multi-purpose hall more than doubles the existing assembly area whilst providing break-out rooms for student learning, parent and staff meetings, occupational therapy sessions, and staff training.

Our Project Manager, Victoria, says that walking into these spaces you would be forgiven for mistaking the refurbishment for a completely new build.’ We take our (hard) hats off to the builder, Greenpoint Construction Group, who continue to impress us with their quality and attention to detail. Greenpoint have turned the vision into a glorious reality.

When we started working with Anna, she had recently returned from the UK, with many years of additional experience gained in specialised education. Anna courageously jumped into the master planning and detailed design stages of the project. She seamlessly managed her team’s expectations, and has always approached decision making with the best interests of her students, and staff, forefront of mind.

Anna became quick mates with the Site Supervisor, Chris from Greenpoint, and our Project Manager, Victoria, the three were an upstoppable force; getting things done safely, make decisions that would make lasting improvement, and sharing good humour along the way. Working closely with Anna, during construction in a live school environment, was a huge benefit to the design and delivery process.

AUTISM SPECTRUM AUSTRALIA (ASPECT) | TERRIGAL, NSW

We provided Project Management services from masterplan through construction for both the Primary campus and Senior College campus. Both sites were in bushfire zones and relied on refurbishing and retrofitting existing facilities. The Primary campus involved a complete overhaul of the playgrounds incorporating three play zones (calm, sensory and active) to align with the school’s transition requirements. Intensive coordination was required for construction whilst operating the school through multiple phases.

AUTISM SPECTRUM AUSTRALIA (ASPECT) | CORRIMAL, NSW

Works on this campus included new modular classrooms and amenities, library, sensory room, and a multipurpose building. The existing classrooms, admin building ad landscaping were also upgraded. The multi-purpose building incorporated a zoom room which equipped the school with new technology to reach more students.

Hurdles including parking & access as well as managing authority easements and new connections with the site was nestled in a residential area.

AUTISM SPECTRUM AUSTRALIA (ASPECT) | WETHERHILL PARK, NSW

We are thrilled that the Western Sydney works are underway. Designed within the tight parameters of Fire & Rescue NSW and Transport NSW, our team has journeyed with Aspect to explore commercial feasibility and design excellence.

The internal refurbishment scope currently being undertaken is within a live school environment. The scope includes internal refurbishment of the student classrooms, with acoustic sound panels, dimmable lighting design, and custom joinery calm zones. The existing administration building is being reconfigured with open plan work areas, and the entire site is in the process of being upgraded to new fire, electrical, hydraulic, access, and security services throughout.

A fun fact about the Aspect projects is that, at their height, our team were servicing a total of seventeen individual schools.

Every single team member in the photo below contributed to the success of Aspect’s upgrades. We achieved their goal, which was to create recognisable consistency across their sites, and have gained in-depth knowledge and experience with Education State Environmental Planning Policy (ESEPP), Schools for Specific Purpose (SSP), Safety in Design (SID), and NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

Our support included introducing a custom school-wide design guideline, feasibility studies, modular studies, mobile classroom investigation, furniture, fixtures & equipment guidelines and custom signage. These schools included:

• Riverina
• Treetops
• Bellambi
• Macarthur

• Cardiff
• Heatherton
• Loftus
• Hunter

• Peakhurst
• Unanderra
• Wollongong
• Marrickville

• Vern Barnett
• Central Coast Primary
• Central Coast Secondary
• Corrimal
• Western Sydney