Case Study: Designing for What Comes Next - How Koskela Helped Perth College Build for Flexibility, Wellbeing, and the Future

When Perth College first approached the design team behind its new junior school building, the brief was simple: refurbish an existing structure. But as conversations deepened, it became clear the needs of the school - and the expectations of its students, teachers, and wider community - had outgrown the existing infrastructure. 

The original building was dated, inflexible, and no longer supported the evolving pedagogies that Perth College was committed to. With input from teachers and leadership, and guidance from lead designer Thompson, the project shifted course. Instead of a short-term refurbishment, it became a new build  - one focused on flexibility, wellbeing, and design that could adapt as teaching methods, technologies, and cohorts changed.

“The Perth College project gave us the opportunity to support a school that’s thinking about learning differently. It wasn’t just about the furniture; it was about creating spaces that respond to real needs, evolve over time, and reflect the care this community has for its students and staff,’’ Sasha Titchkosky, Co-founder, Koskela said. 

The Koskela team worked closely with head designer Erica Thompson who said the nature of the project was such that it was possible to be very intentionally with the needs of the students and the space. 

“We worked with the client to understand their actual needs,” Thompson says. “It quickly became clear that the refurbishment wasn’t going to deliver long-term value. We were able to disintegrate part of the masterplan and focus more intentionally on the kinds of spaces they truly needed.” 

More than a classroom 

The final design brief was multifaceted. The building had to accommodate a new level for Years 3–6, a shared teaching space for dance and STEM, and a flexible upper level that could act as both a staff lunchroom and a conference venue  - with capacity to host events like weddings, thanks to its connection to the campus’s heritage chapel and city views. 

Each space had to support a range of users and uses. Traditional enclosed classrooms were replaced with open, adaptable zones. The overall ethos was clear: nothing institutional, nothing rigid. Instead, the spaces should feel warm, welcoming, and future-facing - designed as much for how people feel as for how they learn. 

Furniture as a learning tool 

This philosophy extended into the furniture selection, which played a central role in shaping the building’s character and functionality. Perth College partnered with Koskela to source flexible, high-quality pieces that could support diverse learning styles and future reconfiguration.

“We didn’t want anything that looked like standard education furniture,” says Thompson. “The leadership team - and the students - wanted something more thoughtful. Koskela’s range was a perfect fit in terms of aesthetic, adaptability, and circularity.” 

Rather than prescribing a single type of desk or chair, each classroom included five or six different settings: soft seating, low tables, booth areas, and mobile workstations. This variety gave students and teachers options - recognising that not all children learn the same way, and that learning preferences can shift throughout the day. 

This aligns directly with several of Koskela’s circular design principles, including Design for Adaptability and Design for Timelessness. The chosen furniture resists obsolescence not just through durability, but through versatility - a critical factor in educational environments where pedagogical approaches are constantly evolving.

Testing before building 

One of the most effective strategies used during the project was the creation of a mock classroom. Koskela and the design team transformed an existing room into a prototype space using a mix of their own and other suppliers’ furniture. Teachers and students used it for a full month, submitting written feedback on what worked and what didn’t. 

“That process gave students and staff real agency in the project,” Thompson explains. “It wasn’t just about picking products off a page - it was about testing how different setups supported teaching and learning in practice.” 

This kind of user-driven iteration is more common in commercial workplace design than in education, but the team saw clear value in applying it to a school context. It also reinforced a key learning from the project: furniture decisions should never be left to the end. They are foundational to how a space works. 

The case for circularity - and the barriers 

Initially, the project team had planned to use Koskela’s Furniture as a Service subscription model  - a circular approach to procurement that reduces upfront costs, allows for future upgrades, and keeps materials in use longer. But a change in school leadership mid-project shifted priorities. The subscription model was ultimately replaced with a direct purchase. 

“It was disappointing not to pursue that model,” says Thompson. “But even without it, we still embedded circular principles. We selected durable, flexible furniture that’s less likely to be replaced in five years.” 

Titchkosky agrees: “Ultimately they chose our furniture which is designed to be circular, we were thrilled with the end result.’’  

Koskela’s circular principles informed the product choices, from Design for Care and Repair to Design for Reassembly. By prioritising furniture that can be maintained, rearranged, and reused, the school still took meaningful steps toward lower-impact design  -  even if the full vision wasn’t realised.

Designing for wellbeing and identity 

While the project evolved significantly from its original brief, its success lies in how it reflects the values of the Perth College community: inclusion, flexibility, and a forward-looking approach to education.  

For staff, the new building offers a communal lunchroom and conference space - amenities that didn’t previously exist. For students, it offers environments that support movement, collaboration, and quiet focus. And for the wider community, it provides a contemporary yet welcoming facility that enhances the college’s competitive standing in a crowded private school market. 

Lessons for the sector 

For Thompson, the project underscored the value of early engagement, open collaboration, and clear communication - particularly around sustainability. 

“Education clients are experts in pedagogy, not necessarily in design or circularity. It’s our role to guide them through that thinking,” they explain. “That kind of relationship-building is essential if we want these principles to stick.” 

It also reinforced the idea that educational spaces deserve the same rigour - and the same creativity - as any workplace or public project. When schools are empowered to co-design their environments, the results are smarter, more joyful, and built to last.

Products in this project include: