A Blend of Tradition and Modernity: The Scots College, John Cunningham Student Centre

The John Cunningham Student Centre (JCSC) at The Scots College began with a vision to create a traditional building with modern educational facilities, that would also serve as a physical embodiment of the College’s Scottish heritage. Located at the heart of the senior school campus in Bellevue Hill, the new Centre is a testament to the school’s commitment to providing a modern and functional learning environment while honouring its proud historical legacy.

The project involved transforming the existing Stevenson Library building into a larger and more practical structure with modern amenities and technologies, all while incorporating an authentic, internationally acclaimed Scots Baronial design by JCA Architects. This transformation has significantly increased the building’s functionality, making it integral to the school’s operations. The new Centre now houses multiple new learning spaces, dedicated pastoral care and counselling facilities, improved academic research spaces, enhanced accessibility routes, and new formal function rooms on the upper levels.

The existing Stevenson Library building underwent major alterations and additions, including extensions to floor slabs, the creation of an atrium void, the addition of a sixth storey within the new pitched roof, complete internal fitout works, and re-cladding of the exterior. The new development overlooks the school oval and allows free-flowing north-south circulation between respective buildings, something that was not previously possible within the campus.

Constructing a building that honours the unique characteristics of Scots Baronial architecture required meticulous coordination of the complex design. The project team encountered a range of challenges while navigating the highly aesthetic design, including various trades and construction techniques that are now infrequently employed in today’s construction industry. However, the Taylor team accurately managed these obstacles through collaborative efforts with the client, consultants, and subcontractors.

The design concept for the JCSC was deeply rooted in the College’s heritage and the practical needs of the building. The College buildings skirting the oval are largely correlated either in scale, detailing, or texture, with a unique style of architecture that has identified the College since its inception. The new design of the JCSC aimed to soften the exterior of the refurbished library, breaking up the large flat vertical elevations and horizontal profile, and allowing natural light inside on all levels through large windows. The roofing profile was designed to correlate with Aspinall House and the main school building, featuring ridges, gables, and hips, while also allowing for a roof terrace. The adoption of the Scottish Baronial style of the 16th Century, revived in the 19th Century, resolved these challenges and conflicts, ensuring the building’s exterior concept remained true to its heritage. Dr Alistair Disley, a globally recognised expert in Scottish architecture, provided extensive recommendations to ensure the design concept remained authentic.

As a live operational environment, it was critical to The Scots community that there was minimal disruption to the running of the College while construction took place. Liaising with the College was fundamental to the project delivery, and Taylor created transparent communication with all stakeholders involved. The team provided the College with reports and programmes of any potential disruptive works.

Given the College’s prestigious reputation and active involvement of the community, the Taylor project team conducted regular site walks with various stakeholders, offering an inclusive experience of the construction process at different stages. These site visits also enabled the client and other consultants to further develop their vision for the JCSC. In the initial project phases, the College arranged video tours of the site to provide relevant information about key elements. Taylor staff participated in the videos to update on project progress and highlight notable features.

During construction, Taylor also facilitated a specially designed school excursion for 20 students and teachers to one of our other live projects, the First Building in Australia’s newest city – Bradfield City Centre. The excursion included a site walk of the First Building, housing the Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility, as well as a visit to the new Western Sydney International Airport. Guests were given an exclusive viewing of the First Building construction site, followed by an informative presentation sharing the plans for the building. Students were then introduced to the environmentally sustainable design initiatives that will be implemented at the First Building – a development targeting world-leading sustainability ratings with a Fully Net Zero aim for 2030.

The JCSC stands as a beacon of design excellence, collaboration, and dedication to both modern education and historical preservation. It is a vibrant and accessible learning environment that will benefit the College community for generations to come.

We would like to thank the client for their continued support throughout the project, as well as EPM Projects, JCA Architects, and all consultants and subcontractors for their commitment in bringing this historic project to life.

View the project’s profile here.