Loreto Normanhurst Veronica Reid Buildings and Landscape

The Veronica Reid Buildings are a temporary building solution to alleviate the growth and classroom issues facing the school prior to a broader masterplan been commissioned. Loreto Normanhurst desired a landscape design that facilitated the temporary building while allowing for future use once the masterplan is commissioned and actioned.

O’Hanlon Design provided a naturalistic solution that links the main desire lines through the site from the main campus to the Sr Veronica Reid Oval. The solution carefully considers a difficult site that is steep, orientated south, with problematic subsoils and existing trees. Taking advantage of the slope O’Hanlon Design uses the main stair through the center of the site creating a new axis and providing a physical and visual connection from the Gonzaga Barry Centre to the Oval. To either side of the stair are terraced platforms housing the modular buildings minimising the scale and softening the appearance of the buildings while providing additional sub-floor ventilation.

Through critical and careful building placement and level planning O’Hanlon Designs where able to achieve a solution that effectively meets the functionality of the education value of the space creating a long-term solution for a transient site