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Perth’s elite Hale School to welcome $30m state-of-the-art science building redevelopment

Harriet FlinnPerthNow - Western Suburbs
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An artist’s impression of Hale School’s science facility.
Camera IconAn artist’s impression of Hale School’s science facility. Credit: Kerry Hill Architects

A state-of-the-art science and technology building is coming to Perth’s elite Hale School, which headmaster Dean Dell’Oro says will help students learn the skills to step into an exciting technological future.

Designed by Kerry Hill Architects, the two-storey facility will cost nearly $30 million and is set to include STEM-based classrooms, prep labs and workshops, which Mr Dell’Oro says will be a major upgrade for students.

“The current science building is the same one that was here when we first moved to Wembley Downs in 1960, so they’re pretty darn old,” Mr Dell’Oro said.

“We’ve known that we’ve needed to upgrade the space for quite some time.

“This building will become a dedicated centre for science, biology, physics and mathematics, but will also incorporate an element of new technologies, like engineering.”

Mr Dell’Oro hoped the new learning complex would not only benefit the current and future students of Hale but also help get more boys involved with science education.

“Unfortunately, boys are not going as well in education as we’d like them to. They’re pretty hard to handle at times and we reckon we’ve got some pretty good skills,” he said.

Dean Dell’Oro is the headmaster at Hale School.
Camera IconDean Dell’Oro is the headmaster at Hale School. Credit: Robert Frith/Robert Frith/Acorn Photo

“Boys need to be enabled with the foundational skills to take on the significant tertiary science engineering type qualifications that we think will be needed for society.

“There’s no doubt that we are moving into a technological society at a rapid rate ... and we’re convinced that equipping boys with fundamental skills of science and engineering is incredibly important.

“So I see this as another facility which, in time, will give us the opportunity to share our experience for how to teach science to boys or how to nurture boys learning.”

Artist impression of the interior level of the building.
Camera IconArtist impression of the interior level of the building. Credit: Kerry Hill Architects

To make way for the new building, which received formal development approval on Friday, the current senior arts building will be demolished — as will part of the school’s gymnasium.

“We believe that demolishing the current building and repurposing some of the buildings that parts of engineering currently occupy will be good for us,” Mr Dell’Oro said.

“We plan to fit the art classes into the current engineering building ... and continue to offer PE study as normal in the remaining gymnasium building.”

Construction is scheduled to begin around the middle of next year.

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