Denham Court Public School is located at the edge of The Upper Canal, which has provided water to Sydney since the late 1800s. Situated on Dharawal land, the design pays respect to the history of Country through the built form, landscape and signage elements that connect the school to the past and present.

The school was designed to accommodate kindergarten to year six students and their teachers in a collaborative and open-plan environment. The teaching and learning spaces provide a range of settings, from small, quiet rooms to open, collaborative areas. The built form defines the street edges at the east, south and west. This ‘U’ shape forms an internal courtyard protected from the road, allowing the winter sun to reach deep into the rooms. The shadows move across the facades throughout the day giving the students a visual connection to time.

The library reading room features a large format illustration by Erica Halse that depicts an imaginary landscape with local references. The artwork is the focal point of the two-storey space and is used as a learning tool for the students. Environmentally sustainable materials and principles have been incorporated to ensure that the school contributes positively to the planet. These principles include natural ventilation to all learning spaces, low VOC materials and a 100KWh solar system. The design uses both modular offsite construction and conventional onsite construction to ensure quality and compatibility with the local environment.