Wilderness Junior — Early Learning Centre

Navigate to the next section
Education

Client
Wilderness School

Collaborators
Grieve Gillett Architects
CPR Engineers
Secon Consulting Engineers
BCA Engineers
Chris Sale Consulting
BuildSurv
Resonate Consultants
Iguana Creative
SARAH Constructions with Hills Sustainable Gardens

Disciplines
Landscape Architecture

Location
Medindie, SA

Date
2023 — 2024

Imagery
Sweet Lime Photo

Working closely with the school and the architectural team, the design for Wilderness Junior Early Learning Centre prioritised a rich variety of play and learning experiences that support the diverse needs of young students. Tract led the landscape design in close collaboration with lead architect Grieve Gillet Architects and a multidisciplinary team to create an inclusive, engaging and future focused outdoor environment.
Wilderness junior early learning centre

Central to this is a strong biophilic connection between the built form and the surrounding landscape. The design draws inspiration from the schools design brief that the junior campus is the girls’ first steps into the ‘Wilderness’, ensuring that indoor and outdoor spaces feel seamlessly intertwined.

Views, movement paths and material transitions were carefully considered so that the built form opens naturally into a series of interconnected outdoor ‘rooms’, each programmed for different activities and age groups. This creates a cohesive, legible environment while still offering each year level its own identity and sense of place. Larger gathering spaces are balanced with intimate nooks, nature based play areas and opportunities for exploration, allowing students to choose how they engage with the landscape throughout the day.

Wilderness junior early learning centre
Wilderness junior early learning centre
Wilderness junior early learning centre
Wilderness junior early learning centre

A collaborative effort ensured the retention and protection of the site’s mature canopy trees. These trees provide immediate shade, a sense of continuity and a natural framework that anchors the new design. Their presence shapes movement, gathering and storytelling opportunities, supporting outdoor learning in a cool, sheltered environment and strengthening the biophilic relationship between structure and landscape.

A focused and expressive planting palette reinforces the character of each outdoor ‘room’. Native, sensory and seasonal species enhance identity, encourage curiosity and provide hands on learning opportunities beyond the classroom walls. The planting deepens the narrative of being immersed in the ‘Wilderness’, offering students a living, evolving landscape to explore.

Wilderness junior early learning centre
Wilderness junior early learning centre
Wilderness junior early learning centre
Wilderness junior early learning centre

A bespoke play structure – developed with local fabricator Iguana Creative – introduces vertical play ‘leaves’ and a sculptural seed pod slide that extend the Wilderness storyline. Reused site won materials, along with materials chosen to complement the area’s established character, reinforce sustainability and continuity. A chicken coop and productive garden further enrich the learning environment, offering daily interaction and responsibility building opportunities.

The completed landscape significantly expands opportunities for outdoor learning, active play and social connection. An expansive lawn, secret garden, productive garden, imaginative play zone, arbour walkway, accessible pathways and extensive new planting together create a resilient, welcoming and transformative environment that celebrates the ‘Girls’ First Step into the Wilderness’.

Wilderness junior early learning centre
Wilderness junior early learning centre