Our redesign will focus on how our students learn today and in the future. Whether students want to study independently, work or collaborate in small groups, or be part of larger group learning sessions, our learning spaces should allow for all these diverse needs. Flexibility will be the key.
Melissa Brady is responsible for this transformation. Here is Melissa’s take on the project. “With an aging building, it is always a tricky decision between completely rebuilding or renovating and improving. We are fortunate that Shrewsbury has good bones, so taking time to completely refresh this space was the most practical and cost effective solution … and also the most sustainable. Shrewsbury houses our “hands on” creative subjects and being able to alter the spaces and give students the opportunity to design in an inspiring space that can cater for many learning styles is exciting”.
Shrewsbury Today
Shrewsbury currently consists of 16 classrooms and houses various visual arts and creative disciplines. The classrooms cover a range of creative disciplines ranging from:
Shrewsbury is a hub of specialist spaces allowing students to develop a range of skills through practical learning where knowledge and skills are applied through a creative process.
New Mezzanine Floor
Under the re-design, the new mezzanine floor will provide 181m² of additional teaching space. This area will serve as a hub for senior art students, providing room for individual studio work and a hub that includes equipment for silk screening and etching. This space will have airy classrooms with adaptable layouts for group learning and individual study, along with mobile furniture to easily convert the area into an exhibition space. The mezzanine will also feature display cases for student artwork, creating a dedicated gallery space to inspire creativity and showcase student projects.
Student Learning and Collaboration
The redesigned Shrewsbury will feature flexible classroom structures that cater to diverse learning styles. with open-plan environments for collaboration, configurable areas for individual focus, and advanced technology integration. Movable walls will allow teachers and students to adapt to different teaching and learning needs.
Creative disciplines under one roof
To unify creative disciplines under one roof, some creative industries areas will move from the Centennial Building to Shrewsbury. Matt Bennett (HOF Creative Industries) explains that this project will allow Dio to broaden our Creative Industries offering. We will be re-introducing the workshop/maker-space area within Shrewsbury building. This new maker-space will allow students to model and develop products in a variety of materials and we will be creating another Fab Lab within this space to support the production of creative projects.
Incorporating Student Design
As part of the redesign process, Dio is involving students. Six students are collaborating with Matt Bennett on a key element: the designed ‘wrap’ for the new stairwells. This initiative provides students with practical design experience, from aesthetics to functionality, ensuring they leave a lasting mark on the building. This is similar to the approach taken on the Performing Arts Centre, where student design was used on the intricate metalwork outside the building.
Commitment to Sustainability
Sustainability is a core focus of this project, and the remodel incorporates features to reduce Shrewsbury’s ecological footprint. Solar panels, high-efficiency systems for lighting, hot water, and air conditioning, and building material upgrades will improve energy efficiency. A photovoltaic (PV) array will reduce energy consumption by 137,000 kWh/year, cutting carbon emissions by over 15,000 kg of CO₂ annually. The building will also have 27,000-liter water tanks for greywater, which will be used for toilets and irrigation, further reducing its environmental impact.
A Temporary Classroom Village – while Shrewsbury is under construction
During the year-long renovation, teaching must continue. Initially, the plan was to move the Creative Industries and Visual Arts classes to temporary buildings on the school field. However, the technical requirements for Creative Industries could not be easily replicated in a temporary setting. Consider for example the needs of our food technology area (which includes 3 suites of 6 ovens and 2 commercial turbo ovens)!
As a solution, the English department (which does not need the same level of technical infrastructure) will be temporarily relocated to prefabs on the school field. The prefabs, designed to be modern and comfortable, will feature six double classrooms with air conditioning. The planning and scheduling have been carefully thought through to ensure minimal disruption to teaching.
Project Timeline
Construction began in December 2024 and the project should be complete by the end of 2025.
Throughout the project, we will provide regular updates to keep the school community informed.