Connection Corridor

‘"The Connection Corridor’ connects students to Nature allowing outdoor learning and unstructured play with natural materials like logs, rocks, sand and mud.

It invites the teachers to be exposed to new resources and new ways of seeing the world around them through the eyes of the students in wonder.

… and it physically connects the junior and senior campuses via a forest of edible bush tucker, full of musical and visual experiences sharing aboriginal stories of the land on which we stand on.

Please join us in developing this dream…"

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Zoya S

Connection Corridor Project Manager - P&C Member

Background:

Capalaba State College P&C approached Orterra to assist in developing a connection between the junior and senior campuses. This connection was to be not only to physical, but to connect the two communities and provide facilities for both campuses to use.

Orterra’s role in this project is to create places through this connection which the College community will take ownership of, develop and change. A place which can be incorporated into the teaching pedagogy of the College. Places which encourage teachers and staff to help engage the students in learning and connect to their surroundings.

This design for the Capalaba State College campus connection is based on current research into outdoor education and natural place spaces. Research has shown a strong correlation between children interacting with the natural environment and an increase in the physical, emotional and intellectual development of the child.

Nature play is defined by Nature Play Queensland, as any activity that gets children active or thinking actively outdoors, with the end goal of building skills and ability to play without the need for parental or adult control.
It has been developed through the input of students and staff from the college.

The design has several aims:

To create a connection between the junior college and senior college.

To develop a long term plan for the development of the college grounds over the next 10 years.
To enable staff to enhance student learning through the outdoor learning environments.
To support and assist the development of its students through learning and play.
To incorporate indigenous culture and history into the college grounds where appropriate.

Download the Master Plan Document

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Consultation

Orterra consulted with the students, staff and parents of the school,
and Uncle Norm, who is a representative for the Minjerribah elders for this project. This has allowed us to understand the communities needs and requirements for the corridor.
During September 2021, we sent out a survey to teachers in the junior and senior school to gather and their feedback in regard to the path connection and the current spaces the school offers. We received 9 responses from teachers.
In early September, we completed a workshop with a group of students from the Montessori program at the school to delve into their opinions of the school and what they would like to see at the school in the future.
In November, we met with Uncle Norm, and he gave permissions to include Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander cultural elements into the connection corridor, and advised on appropriate ways to do this. He encouraged Orterra and the school to create stronger ties to the local First Nations People and look at naming the corridor in the local language.
The following pages include a summary of the data which provides some clear ideas and themes to be included in the design of the connection corridor.

Student Response - What they do and don’t like

The questions asked were:
• What do you like about your school?
• What don’t you like about your school?
• What do you want to see at your school?
These are the results from this session

Student Response - What they want

We asked the students what they would like to see at their school. Their imagination ran wild, requesting all different types of things. We have
condensed and narrowed down the responses to the top 20 answers.

Sketches and Notes

Staff Response

Staff were asked a series of questions. This is a summary of
the feedback:

Parent Response

The P&C created a Pinterest board with their ideas for the school and has over 500 pins of amazing ideas. We have analysed these ideas and images, and broken them down into several key areas that parents would like to see as part of the connection corridor:
Ideas from the images we can include in the corridor:
• Outdoor learning
• Play
• Relaxation and quiet spaces
• Musical instruments
• Sensory experiences
• Water play
What the school community through student construction or activities can incorporate into the design once complete from these images:
• Art activities: she storage shed at the junior oval and entry statements could have an art mural created by inviting indigenous artists to the school to complete with the children.
• Create musical instruments: create instruments from sticks, sand, rice, milk containers and anything that creates sound!
• Growing food: have the students grow food in designated areas, from seed to harvest for a complete learning experience.

Consultation Summary

The feedback from the students, teachers and parents provides clear guidance as to the elements that the school community see as important in developing this connection between the senior and junior school.
These can be divided into four themes. The design of the corridor is based on these themes, the site and its context:

Site Analysis

Image 1: Koala Growth Habitat
There will be no trees removed during this project. The majority of trees on site are koala
growth habitat areas. These must be protected to help preserve and boost the koala population
in the local area.

Waterways and drainage
The waterways will be protected and the health
enhanced through the removal of weeds and planting
of native species to help boost local ecosystems.

Approximate Future Hall Location
The construction of the hall between the two campuses will strengthen the
connection and have an impact on the use and connection of the connection corridor.

Areas of Protection
Sugar Glider habitat (Location of tree still to be advised from P&C)
Hollow habitat trees

Design Ethos

These four concepts are weaved into the corridor through a combination of space definition, way finding, planting, and elements. We are connecting to the space by understanding more about who and what we are. In connecting to the environment we are to use all our senses to help solidify and create these connections. In the design of this corridor we have embraced our senses. We have used the seven senses approach by the Seven Senses Foundation to enhance the experience of each student, teacher and parent as they move through the corridor.

The Seven Senses Foundation

The Seven Senses Foundation have a vision to create healthier and happier neighbourhoods and communities that are inclusive for people of all
wellness and abilities. The 7 senses approach is a tool to help make that happen.
The 7 Senses include:
Vestibular
The vestibular system explains the perception of our body in relation to gravity, movement and balance. The vestibular system measures acceleration, g-force, body movements and head position. Examples of the vestibular system in practice include knowing that you are moving when you are in an elevator, knowing whether you are lying down or sat up, and being able to walk along a balance beam.
Proprioception
Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement. This sense is very important as it lets us know exactly where our body parts are, how we are positioned in space and to plan our movements. Examples of our proprioception in practice include being able to clap our hands together with our eyes closed, write with a pencil and apply with correct pressure, and navigate through a narrow space.
Touch
Touch, or somatosensory, is a perception resulting from activation of neural receptors, generally in the skin including hair follicles and a variety of pressure receptors respond to variations in pressure (firm, brushing, sustained, etc.). The somatosensory system is a diverse sensory system that is spread through all major parts of our body. At its simplest, the system works when activity in a sensory receptor is triggered by a specific stimulus (such as heat); this signal eventually passes to an area in the brain uniquely attributed to that area on the body and this allows the processed stimulus to be felt at the correct location.
Hearing
Hearing, or audition, is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations, changes in the pressure of the surrounding medium through time, through an organ such as the ear. As with sight, auditory processing relies on how the brain interprets, recognises and differentiates sound stimuli.
Sight
Sight or vision is the capability of the eyes to focus and detect images of visible light and generate electrical nerve impulses for varying colors, hues, and brightness. Visual perception is how the brain processes these impulses – recognising, differentiating and interpreting visual stimuli through comparison with experiences made earlier in life.
Taste
Taste, or gustation, refers to the capability to detect the taste of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc. The sense of taste is often confused with the “sense” of flavour, which is a combination of taste and smell perception. Humans receive tastes through sensory organs called taste buds concentrated on the upper surface of the tongue. There are five basic tastes: sweet, bitter, sour, salty and umami.
Smell
Smell or olfaction is our ability to detect scent – chemical, odour molecules in the air. Our olfactory system begins in our nose which has hundreds of olfactory receptors. Odour molecules possess a variety of features and, thus, excite specific receptors more or less strongly. This combination of excitement is interpreted by the brain to perceive the ‘smell’. How olfactory information is coded in the brain to allow for proper perception is still being researched and the process is not completely understood, however, what is known is that the chemical nature of the odorant is particularly important, as there may be a chemotopic map in the brain.

Concept Plan

Master Plan

Nature Play

Indicative Sketch - Natural Play Area

Yarning Circle

Indicative Sketch - Yarning Circle & Bush Tucker Garden

Play and teaching spaces

The Physical Connection and Way Finding Pt1

The physical connection between the two campuses is the heart of the design. The meandering paths create opportunities for, learning and interactive and cultural experiences. It allows for connection to the community, nature, history and ourselves.

The connection includes two options for the journey, allowing users of all abilities to choose the route taken. The main route is a direct 1.5m wide path and allows for the movement of students and staff in larger groups between the campuses. This will be made with asphalt or concrete.

The Physical Connection and Way Finding Pt2

The secondary 1.2m wide path will be made from crusher dust creating less invasive and enhancing the natural character of the space. This secondary journey will weave throughout the trees. Users will come across various different spaces and experiences along the way. This path allows students and staff to get off the main track and explore, learn and play.

The Physical Connection and Way Finding Pt3

Way finding and information signage are intergraded into the design. Information on biological, ecological, historical and cultural aspects of the design can be displayed for students to learn. These can be through visual, touch, written and digital parts to this information creating an experience for students to learn in different ways. These will be weaved throughout the connection along pathways and identifying features, throughout the journey.
At the entry to the main connection corridor will be a feature signifying to the students they are entering a special area to the school. This entry can be personalised to the junior or senior school while telling the story across the campus.

Edible Gardens & Yarning Circle pt1

One of the most requested items by the consultation was more space for herbs, veggies, orchards and gardening. Growing your own food allows for a greater connection to ourselves and our community, it provides a better understanding of nature can allows us to learn about our local history and culture.
The design identifies several areas for growing food. The junior school will include a vegetable and herb garden, adjacent to a fruit orchard. Two of these areas will provide outdoor seating for a comfortable learning experience for the students and teachers. The junior students will be able to fully immerse themselves into growing food from seed to harvest.

Edible Gardens & Yarning Circle pt2

A bush tucker garden will surround the yarning circle in history and culture. This area is positioned in the middle of both of the campuses. This allows the space to be a shared resource used by both the junior and the senior schools. The yarning circle at the gardens center will provide valuable learning experiences. Assisting in creating a cultural awareness through inviting First Nations guests to visit and teach the students about the local stories and the local bush tucker from the area.
Having both common vegetable garden and the bush tucker edible gardens will connect students to their community, themselves and local history & culture. It will provide senses to their taste, smell, touch and sight.

Natural Play

The natural play will include water play, sand & mud pits, loose parts play, climbing, balancing and mounding. This area can be used by all students on the junior campus and allows students to touch, play, crawl and climb, spin and swing.
Numerous trees for shade will be planted to ensure that this area can be used year round. Storage for loose parts positioned so that students have easy access to items. The area designed to challenge a child’s physical needs while providing a creative outlet for unstructured play.

Interactive Play

Interactive play area will provide hands-on learning opportunities through musical instruments, games, balance beams and obstacles. There will be educational signage for the existing and vegetation, native animals and insects for the surrounding area. These items will be weaved through the Interactive Play space.

Nature Play

The nature play spaces are distinctly different from natural area play spaces in that they will have limited elements added. Students will be encouraged to create their own games with the items nature provides for them and additional loose parts provided to them. This will build on the existing bush Kindy which currently operates in this area.
This area students can play, learn about, hear and feel nature. The space will allow them to interact with water, mud, insects, trees, leaves, and sticks to play with how they desire using their imagination and creativity for play.

Outdoor Learning

The need for more outdoor teaching spaces was expressed by teachers and parents in the surveys as high on the priority list for the corridor. Places with power, shade, seating and flat surfaces are important to the teachers. The aim for the corridor is to provide a series of spaces where a range of different teaching styles could occur. Informal spaces for casual learning, and more formal sustainable places with connections to wifi, solar energy and technology are proposed to allow for different learning styles, giving a variety of teaching places.

Quiet Spaces

The need for places for children to retreat, take a break from play was suggested during the consultation from teachers. We have proposed spaces that allow students to stop, sit and think or gather in small groups along the corridor. These places allow students who may experience a sensory overload, or may be having a bad day and need to stop and relax. These spaces will allow students to sit, relax and watch what is happening without feeling the need to interact. A variety of these spaces have been allowed for throughout the corridor.

Connection Corridor

Background:

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