Emanuel School

  • Description Adler building redevelopment
  • Location Randwick
  • Sector Learning
  • Sub-Sector Early Learning, Education
  • Specialties Additions, Façade, Heritage, Live Environment, Refurbishment
  • Contract Type Fixed Lump Sum
  • Delivery Method Construct Only
  • Client Emanuel School
  • Architect TKD Architects
  • Photographer Martin Mischkulnig
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The Adler Building redevelopment enriches the daily experience of Emanuel School’s youngest learners, creating warm, modern and secure spaces that support curiosity, and connection. Designed to give Kindergarten to Year 6 students room to learn, play and grow, the project strengthens the school’s mission to nurture confident, creativity and community‑minded children within a vibrant and inclusive environment.

Delivering these upgrades within a live, heritage‑listed campus required careful planning, strict safety management and close coordination with the school community. Confined site boundaries, COVID‑related disruptions and the need to maintain safe access for approximately 800 students shaped the construction methodology. Staged works, clear communication and flexible sequencing ensured teaching and school operations continued smoothly throughout the build, with minimal disruption to students and staff.

8164 Emanuel School 5 Scaled

The full project scope involved extending and upgrading the Adler Building to deliver new Kindergarten, Year 5 and Year 6 classrooms, breakout spaces, amenities, staff offices, a communications room, and a platform lift. Works also included façade modifications to the Design and Technology Building and new hard and soft landscaping, including a new playground. The completed Adler Building now offers Emanuel School a suite of modern, secure and uplifting spaces that enrich daily learning and strengthen the sense of community, ensuring future generations can learn, create and grow together.

Timelapse Video

A timelapse tracing the transformation of the Adler Building, showing new classrooms, breakout spaces and landscaped areas taking shape within the compact heritage setting.

Video Thumbnail

Hear from our Industry Partners…

Derek Pal
Director and Board Member, Emanuel School

Grindley was tasked with delivering the project under very challenging circumstances. From dealing with the back end of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated impacts on the supply chain and broader construction industry, navigating the inclement weather experienced during 2022, as well as site specific constraints, including incredibly constrained site access and materials handling, maintaining essential services to and minimising the impact of the works on an occupied campus and the challenges that always eventuate on adaptive reuse projects.

Overcoming these challenges was due in no small part to the Grindley project team’s experience and collaborative, ‘can do’ approach to the project. The outcome is a highly detailed, very high-quality building that the School is incredibly proud of and continues to receive high praise from students, staff and the broader School community.