O'Connell Street Public School (Bayanami) — Schools Infrastructure NSW

The Project

O'Connell Street Public School, known by its Aboriginal name Bayanami, is a new primary school in the heart of Parramatta, designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Schools Infrastructure NSW. The brief was to deliver a contemporary school campus that integrated with the existing heritage buildings on site, responding to Parramatta's historic urban fabric while meeting the demands of a rapidly growing student population driven by the area's residential boom.

The Challenge

The site was constrained, the heritage requirements were complex, and the school needed to keep operating on an adjacent portion of the site throughout construction. Sequencing a new build around retained heritage structures, while ensuring the finished campus felt like a unified whole rather than old and new awkwardly stitched together, required constant attention to the interface between design intent and construction reality. The enrolment pressures added urgency to the programme that left little room for delays.

My Approach

I managed this project on behalf of Schools Infrastructure NSW from design development through to practical completion. That meant engaging and coordinating Tonkin Zulaikha Greer as design architects, managing the heritage interface with the heritage consultant and contractor, and keeping the construction programme on track while the school continued to operate next door. I worked within SINSW's procurement framework but kept my focus on protecting the design quality that TZG brought to the project, making sure the coloured perforated screens, the generous courtyard spaces, and the considered heritage integration survived the pressures of government delivery.

The Outcome

The finished school is one I'm genuinely proud of. The central courtyard with its vibrant coloured screens became the heart of the campus immediately, kids took to it in a way that confirmed the design was right. The heritage buildings sit comfortably alongside the new work, and the campus feels purposeful and welcoming.

This project reinforced something I now apply at Yaxley Studio every day: good project management isn't just about programme and procurement, it's about creating the conditions for good design to survive the delivery process intact.