The Gillam Building, erected in 1924, honours Miss Alice Dora Gillam, MA, the first Headmistress of Woodlands Church of England Girls Grammar School. Over the decades, this iconic building has served many purposes. During the Woodlands era, it hosted 12 classrooms for subjects like English, Japanese, History, and Mathematics. In the early 2000s, St Peter’s Woodlands transformed Gillam into six spacious classrooms, creating an Upper Primary precinct that revolutionised our approach to educating upper primary students.

We proudly redeveloped the Gillam Building, a blend of historical integrity and modern learning design. This state-of-the-art innovation centre aims to ignite students’ curiosity, encourage exploration, and foster a spirit of inquiry. Our design respects and highlights the building’s history, preserving iconic features like the arches and the ivy-covered façade.

A key feature of the new design is the large, temperature-controlled common learning space, connecting three classrooms on each level. This space allows entire year-level cohorts to gather for discussions and presentations, while also providing smaller groups the opportunity to collaborate. Large glass sliding doors and windows ensure that teachers can supervise students effectively.

Some design elements we are particularly proud of include the multi-level stage on the ground floor with an adjustable feature light that mirrors outdoor daylight, the sunken nook between the arches, and the first-floor curved ceiling that flows to the outside roof, flooding the space with natural light. We’ve also added an accessibility link from the first floor to the Music Centre lift, ensuring inclusivity for all students and parents.

We incorporated acoustic treatments throughout the building and aimed for a mature, sophisticated interior design for the Year 5 and Year 6 spaces. A range of flexible furniture pieces will soon be introduced, and we expect students to fully utilize and adapt to these new spaces over time.

St Peter’s Woodlands is fortunate to continue expanding and enhancing our students’ learning experiences on these wonderful grounds with such amazing facilities. We have always respected our heritage, ensuring that every redevelopment maintains the historical integrity of our buildings.