The Hale School, Forrest Library Project completed in 2009, was the winner of an Architecture Award for Public Architecture presented by the Australian Institute of Architects (WA Chapter). This award was the first of three awards received by James Christou and Partners Architects at the 2010 awards.

JURY COMMENTS:

The Forrest Library with its associated teaching / learning spaces acknowledges its context in a well mannered way while adding a significant contemporary element and a new entry statement to Hale School.

The building presents a delightfully open, naturally lit and welcoming learning environment into which several relaxed conversation spaces and flexible classrooms are integrated. These learning spaces are expressed externally as louvered elements to the overall benefit of the building's form.

The scale and proportion of this project, the successful indoor/outdoor relationship of controlled spaces within the library, the building's interaction with the site and existing school buildings all make this project worthy of an Architecture Design Award.