Wahroonga Preparatory School is a co-educational school of the Uniting Church and caters for children from Pre-School to Year 6. Wahroonga Preparatory School provides a caring and supportive environment where academic achievement is encouraged and the uniqueness, personality and talents of the individual are valued and developed in an atmosphere which fosters tolerance, kindness and respect. A pleasant physical environment is conductive to high self-esteem and pride in belonging. The development of social flexibility, acceptance and respect for property, self and others is essential.

The Commonwealth Government’s Building the Education Revolution (BER) programme motivated the School to move forward its plans for expansion, fulfilling crucial needs for additional classrooms, library together with music and art rooms.

A number of options for expansion of the School building and playgrounds were considered well before the advent of the BER program, including options to purchase adjoining parcels of land; reconfiguration of areas and uses within the current curtilage amongst others. Following the examination it was resolved to increase the bulk on the upper levels within the ‘L’ shaped footprint to accommodate additional classrooms, library, music room and ancillary facilities. Other core elements of the brief included site and building accessibility and refurbishment of the existing ground floor including lobby and main entry.

The aims and objectives of the design brief included the need to ameliorate and enrich the School environment primarily for the children that inhabit the space; to adaptively reuse the school building while having minimal impact on the heritage significance of the ajoining Church and hall complex and its setting, bringing together a history of renovations into a cohesive aesthetic. The adapted building should respect and retain the heritage significance of the group while adding a contemporary layer that provides value for the future.