Zoe Thompson, Head of Social Sciences
“The current Wilkinson House was not designed to be an educational space and as a result there are deficiencies in the classrooms which make teaching and learning challenging. The classrooms lack ventilation and light and the acoustics are poor. Noise bleeds between the rooms and the classrooms on Forbes Street can be noisy. There is very little insulation and as a result the classrooms are hot in summer and cold in winter. Due to its earlier life as a boarding residence, Wilkinson House has an abundance of unusable spaces, narrow walkways and tight stairwells. The redevelopment will allow for the design of teaching areas which use all the available space and are flexible, safe, and accessible. ”
Originally named Gwydir Flats when it was completed in 1928, Wilkinson House was a residential apartment building designed by celebrated Sydney architect Emil Sodersten. Considered one of Sodersten’s earliest buildings, its design was influenced by the Mediterranean and Georgian revival styles.
It was renamed Wilkinson House after headmistress Dorothy Wilkinson, when it was acquired by SCEGGS in 1962 and converted into our Boarding House. With the closing of the Boarding House in 2001, Wilkinson House was converted into a senior educational centre, which it continues to be to this day.
The School’s continuing association with Wilkinson House will be secured for future generations with the proposed refurbishment, which will rejuvenate a much loved building and help to preserve the legacy of Emil Sodersten.