Alkimos College

May 13

An identifiable landmark in one of Perth’s fastest-growing coastal communities

Project info

Client: Department of Education
Location: Alkimos, WA
Traditional owners: Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation
Value: $35 Million
Date: 2019
Image credit: Acorn Photo

Alkimos College is a new secondary school – a hub for the education, health and wellbeing of students and the local community alike. The college showcases exemplary learning facilities as well as shared-use public amenities for the community.

Working together with our client, the Western Australian Department of Education, the TRCB team’s design approach was inspired by the local history of the SS Alkimos shipwreck, from which the suburb derived its name. Sweeping steel frames form striking elevations that address the school’s public edge, while prominent perforated screens signal pedestrian access through the campus.

Our overarching masterplan for the site groups interrelated functions into micro-communities with landscaped courtyards. Open courtyards allow for generous light, and external verandahs – referencing traditional senior high schools – operate as incidental meeting places that filter borrowed light into classrooms.

Alkimos College opened in 2020 to welcome a cohort of Year 7 students. The project’s first stage delivered high-quality academic facilities including general and specialist classrooms, a student hub and a sports centre that are connected by a network of courtyard spaces. It is the start of an exciting journey for that class and the college, which will grow to accommodate Years 7-12 by 2025.

Awards