{"id":4718,"date":"2021-05-27T13:49:47","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T02:49:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/sceggs\/?post_type=article&p=4718"},"modified":"2021-05-27T16:27:35","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T05:27:35","slug":"light-her-path","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/sceggs\/article\/light-her-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Light Her Path"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why Redeveloping Wilkinson House Matters\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

SCEGGS\u2019 dense, urban location means that every square metre of our campus must pull its weight. Wilkinson House is a material part of our campus but is increasingly constrained in its ability to evolve and be reinvented for use as a 21st<\/sup> century learning facility. \u00a0Nearly 10 years after our last major capital campaign, it\u2019s time to breathe new life into Wilkinson House!<\/p>\n

\n97 years of history<\/strong>
\n<\/u>Wilkinson House has a long history of accommodating Sydneysiders since its completion in 1928.\u00a0 Originally known as the Gwydir Flats, it comprised twenty affordable flats and four garages.\u00a0 Then in 1962, SCEGGS acquired the building to serve as a boarding house before its current life as a senior educational centre.<\/p>\n

Designed by Emil Sodersten, the building is representative of the use, at the time, of an eclectic collection of architectural styles, displaying references to inter-war Mediterranean, Spanish Mission and Georgian Revival influences.\u00a0 Sodersten achieved fame as the architect responsible for the City Mutual Life Assurance Building in Hunter Street in Sydney\u2019s CBD and also as the architect, jointly with John Crust, of the Australian War Memorial.<\/p>\n

Current constraints\"\"<\/strong>
\n<\/u>We value the contribution of Wilkinson House to the heritage of Darlinghurst, but its layout as twenty individual flats with balconies and bathrooms makes for irregular classrooms and a range of awkward and little used spaces. Its narrow, economical staircase heightens the hustle and bustle as students and staff move in and out of classes.<\/p>\n

The challenge
\n<\/strong>Wilkinson House is a significant part of our learning spaces.\u00a0 Wedged in a vibrant dense urban setting, Darlinghurst is the connection and context between the girls and the world around them and we wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.\u00a0 But the challenge is to ensure that every part of SCEGGS pulls its weight in contributing to the fast-evolving needs of students and teachers.<\/p>\n

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The school cannot go up or out, it must make every square metre count.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Light Her Path Capital Campaign<\/strong>\"\"
\n<\/u>Reinventing Wilkinson House is a key part of the Light Her Path Capital Campaign, launched this term to draw on the generosity and resourcefulness of the SCEGGS community to reimagine this vital part of the school\u2019s footprint.<\/p>\n

Unlike many other schools’ fundraising campaigns, there is no proposed expansion of the student body to add to the revenue of the school and its funding capacity, and there is also no term-by-term contribution to a building fund.\u00a0 Accordingly, it is important that the SCEGGS community supports this campaign.<\/p>\n

The campaign is seeking to raise $20 million:<\/p>\n