State Of The Art Music, Drama and Dance Facility Build Announced – Jennifer Oaten
Santa Maria College is a leading school for girls, and we recognise the value of Performing Arts. That is why we are excited to announce our upcoming build of a state-of-the-art music, drama and dance facility. The Cultural Centre will be a special place for our community, our students and staff, alumni and our families. A place to gather, learn and showcase the incredible talents of our students. We can’t wait for Opening Night!
The Project
Santa Maria College began a master planning process in 2018 to understand emerging opportunities and needs and to address the site’s potential development for the next 10-15 years. The Masterplan provided a comprehensive plan of the site in its context, informed by the College’s Strategic Plan and developed through the lens of our Mercy values of Hospitality, Compassion, Justice Service Excellence.
In 2020 SMC progressed the preparation and lodgement of a Local Development Plan (LDP) with the City of Melville. The purpose of the LDP was to coordinate and guide the development of the College site in accordance with City of Melville Local Planning Scheme No. 6. Approval was granted.
Work began on the design of Stage 1 of the Master Plan to develop a car park and a purpose-built Cultural Centre with exemplary learning, rehearsal and performance spaces for dance, drama and music.
Our Project Managers, Total Project Management, our Architects, Architectus and the other consultants on the project have been key to the excellent design and significant progress we have made to date.
Key considerations for the build have included:
- Respect for our campus history and heritage.
- Creating a high-quality, contemporary environment for learning needs fit for now and the future.
- The desire to build community both within and beyond the College.
- Considering future developments and integrating with future stages of the College Master Plan.
- Ensuring the building is fully utilised at all times, both within and beyond school hours.
- Embracing sustainable design practices, including the retention of significant trees.
- Ensuring traffic and parking are well coordinated in the College and surrounding streets.
- Providing an exemplary contribution to Attadale’s local landscape.
We are delighted to announce to our community the following stages of development:
Stage 1A – Carparking & Associated Works – December 2022
To support the development of the Cultural Centre, car parking facilities are to be constructed in the north/west corner of the campus, along with driveway access onto Moreing Road and boundary fence and gate works. Services relocations and upgrades will also occur during this stage. This stage aims to commence construction in December 2022.
Stage 1B – Cultural Centre & Associated Works - Mid 2023
Design of the Cultural Centre is well underway with construction, including the necessary site infrastructure upgrades, landscaping and external works to commence mid-2023, with an expected completion date during Term 1 2025.
The project aims to deliver a facility that meets the current and future needs of Santa Maria College within a realistic budget and timeframe to provide:
- A 650-seat auditorium, 450 seats being fixed and the balance being flexible
- A multi-function/inter-disciplinary facility featuring music, drama and dance
- A Dance Studio, Blackbox Theatre, Orchestra and Ensemble Rooms and Tuition Rooms
- A generous multi-use foyer and servery to cater for College and community engagement events
- An integrated courtyard to provide outdoor spaces for learning, performing and gathering.
We are thrilled about this project and what it will offer our students, staff, and community. In the coming weeks, we will be lodging the Development Application with the City of Melville for the Cultural Centre. We continue working closely with our Project Managers and our Architects and will keep you informed along the way.
- Featured
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
From the President – September 2024
Welcome to the September edition of the Old Girls’ Association Blog. This month, we celebrate the inaugural Mercy Awards, recognising the incredible contributions from Fatima Horta and Roslind Witham our worthy award winners. Their dedication to the College community and advocacy work highlights the true essence of mercy values.
Sisterhood Networking Series – An Evening with Sandra Boyle
We hosted an inspiring Sisterhood Networking Session with Sandra Boyle, a pioneer in mediation and negotiation. Sandra shared her incredible journey from one of few women in a law cohort to becoming a leading figure in Australian law. The evening was filled with invaluable insights, camaraderie, and inspiration.
Save the Date – Golden Girls Luncheon
The annual Golden Girls’ Luncheon is set for 7 November 2024 at Santa Maria College! A special event for alumnae who graduated in 1974 or earlier, it’s a day to reconnect, laugh, and relive cherished memories. Official invitations will arrive soon, so mark your calendars and get ready for a day of joy and nostalgia.
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