Summit Learning Academy
/2022
Clustered timber and rammed-earth ‘villages’ terrace down a hillside, giving every classroom direct access to outdoor science decks and sweeping valley views. Net-zero energy, step-free pathways, and sensory gardens weave environmental stewardship and inclusive pedagogy into everyday student learning experiences.
Project Gallery

Timescales
Phase-One primary learning blocks were completed in 14 months to align with the academic calendar, while Phase-Two secondary facilities followed 12 months later without interrupting classes.
Terraced grading stabilised the hillside before vertical construction commenced, and community volunteers planted over 2,000 native shrubs midway through the build to foster stewardship.
Objectives
Organise intimate small-group studios around hands-on project labs that spill onto shaded outdoor decks, supporting experiential science and nature-based learning.
Achieve net-zero site energy by harnessing cross-slope breezes for passive cooling and equipping roofs with PV shingles meticulously sized to annual demand.
Guarantee step-free circulation across all terraced levels and provide multi-sensory gardens specifically designed to support neurodiverse learners and inclusive pedagogy.
Materials
Thick on-site rammed-earth walls moderate internal temperatures and visually merge the buildings into the hillside, while gently patinated Corten sheet roofs echo local geology.
Roundwood pine framing sequesters carbon in its natural form, and interior linings are straw-clay panels finished by students using casein paint they mixed themselves.
Playgrounds creatively reuse salvaged climbing nets and excavated boulders, creating natural play elements with exceptionally low embodied energy.
Challenges
Heavy rainy-season mudslides threatened access roads; strategic deployment of geotextile matting and temporary bio-swales kept the project moving without major delays.
Designing a 40-metre pedestrian bridge to maintain mountain-goat wildlife corridors required two major redesigns to satisfy environmental agency requirements.
Integration of a donated planetarium dome necessitated additional seismic bracing and schedule juggling, yet opening-day deadlines were still met.