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1 April 2026

Unlocking the
school gates

On a bright Saturday morning in Perth’s northern suburbs, the smell of coffee and freshly baked bread drifts across a bustling farmers’ market. Handmade signs, local produce and neighbours catching up might suggest a community hall or main street plaza – not a primary school basketball court.

But for more than a decade, Subiaco Primary School has been home to the Subiaco Farmers Market, underlining the civic potential of school grounds.

Across Australia, schools are often the first piece of social infrastructure in a new suburb. They are where young families meet, friendships form and a sense of local identity begins to take shape.

Despite this, most schools are only in active use for approximately 25 per cent of the year.*

For Architectus Principal David Karotkin, this highlights a powerful design opportunity: “A new school is far more than a collection of classrooms and teaching amenities. If we design purely for school hours, we’re ignoring its capacity to support community connection, culture and wellbeing.”

Riva Primary School’s central green space, designed for flexible play and community use

Setting the standards

Standard patternbooks by Australia’s state governments already anticipate some shared amenities for primary schools: ovals, play equipment, multi-marked courts and the like. But with early collaboration between architects, education departments, school leaders, councils and community partners, the brief for a new school can be expanded out to result in a broader mix of uses.

At Riva Primary School in Western Australia, designed by a team led by Senior Associate Paolo Basini, classrooms are set around the perimeter to create a generous, central landscaped zone. This increases play space and safe, flexible open areas that are available to families after hours. The school’s administration building also integrates education support facilities and a dental therapy unit.

“Initially, the plan for Riva Primary School had more single-storey buildings,” says Basini. “We recommended double-storey structures instead and this helped us to maximise the landscaping and ensure it could be opened up to more uses.”

Utilising school grounds works well for wraparound health, wellbeing and early learning services. In Victoria, a series of new primary schools designed by Architectus will include government-owned and -operated childcare centres. Other schools, such as Doveton College in Melbourne, are partnering with not-for-profit organisations to provide allied health, family support, adult learning and social programs outside of school hours.

Similar place-based models are emerging across the country, particularly in communities where access to services is limited.

“Integrated hubs such as these quickly prove their value,” says Karotkin. “Support can be provided in a very accessible way and the school is a familiar, trusted conduit to broader community services.”

Smart and sustainable

There is a sustainability dimension too. Thoughtfully planned, multi‑use schools can reduce the need to construct separate community buildings, lowering embodied carbon and operational costs.

“Designing for shared use isn’t about adding complexity,” adds Karotkin. “It’s about asking, from the beginning of the brief development process, ‘how can this school work harder for its community, through the week and over its whole life?’”

With community consultation and clever design, primary schools can become incredibly useful civic assets – places where learning, health, culture and community intersect long after the afternoon bell has rung.

 

*Under the assumption that schools are open for 40-50 hrs a week, for 40 weeks a year. 

Riva’s community-centric campus located in Piara Waters, a fast-growing suburb in Perth’s southeast

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