Berhampore School Junior Playspace
Tucked into a sheltered valley in Wellington’s southern suburbs, Berhampore School is known for its inclusive culture and deep sense of community. As part of a wider masterplanning process, the school identified a concrete and brick courtyard as a priority space that was ready for change and full of potential.
Studio Pacific was engaged to reimagine this courtyard as a space for new entrants to play, learn and connect. From the start, collaboration was central. Teachers and students played a key role in shaping the brief, and a series of creative workshops with tamariki brought forward a flood of ideas – some practical, some fantastical, all full of imagination.
The final design responds directly to that input. Explorative paths wind through the space, drawing on the site’s natural level changes and referencing the landscape beyond the school gates. Nestled into planting, a small whare offers a quiet spot for storytelling and pretend play. There are balancing beams, stepping trails, and an embankment slide for more active movement, while a new sandpit and a raised kitchen garden bed invite children to dig, build, and get their hands dirty.
On one side of the courtyard, an outdoor classroom provides space for learning under shelter and amongst nature, while the other side includes a play-surfaced amphitheatre, for outdoor assembly, learning and play. Paths are gently sloped, framed by low native planting that’s hardy, low-maintenance, and rich in sensory experience.
Funded by the school board, school community, donations, grants and sponsorship the project is a celebration of what is possible when design, teaching, and imagination come together. It’s a space that belongs to the tamariki – and one that will evolve with them over time.