Holland Park State High School
Home Economics

Holland Park State High School’s previous home economics room was limited by outdated equipment and poor layouts, which meant that it couldn’t adequately support delivery of the modern curriculum.

The school therefore needed new facilities to accommodate a broad range of students – from grades 8 to 12 – studying subjects ranging from Home Economics to Food Studies to Hospitality Practices.

To cater to these varying needs, the classroom required more student work stations and additional space for teachers to demonstrate practical skills, as we

We commenced the project with our signature visioning process and collaborated with the school to fully understand the needs of the curriculum across different year levels and subjects, to definitively determine the number of students and workstations required as a starting point for the design.

Then, working within the existing footprint and taking our cues from commercial kitchens, we simplified the layout to provide sufficient workstations to service each full class.

As part of the upgraded, we incorporated a separate demonstration bench for teachers – which is augmented with AV equipment including carefully sited cameras and a screen – so that students can easily view practical demonstrations, regardless of their position in the classroom.

The design incorporates generous storage throughout the space – including under-bench storage at each workstation – in the manner of commercial kitchens.

Moreover, an innovative teaching wall combines multiple functions in one unit – writable whiteboard fronts conceal hidden storage and also serve as a projector screen – thereby saving space elsewhere and reducing visual clutter throughout the space.

By taking the time at the outset to carefully understand the various curriculum requirements – and the teachers’ preferred delivery styles, methodologies and practices – we were able to provide a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen that far exceeded the school’s initial expectations.