The Centre for Science & Art, Abbotsleigh Senior School

In form and function, the butterfly shaped building treads lightly on the site, woven between remnant blue gum forest and two heritage houses bookending the campus.

It’s two organically shaped wings – one for science, one for art – are joined centrally by a curved glass-enclosed walkway. In the spirit of scientific inquiry, the science wing expresses its material construction with interiors left raw and services exposed, while the art wing’s workshops and studios are dappled with soft natural light from windows and skylights to the south.

Multi-use assembly spaces, staff and meeting rooms and informal breakout areas are distributed through both wings, with unprogrammed public spaces adjoining the glass bridge at either end, fostering dialogue between art and science exhibitions and happenings.