Prince of Whales Secondary

A modular concrete installation developed through co-design workshops for a student-created garden and outdoor learning space.

Although Daly Co. is primarily a wood-focused company, we took on the challenge of creating a concrete garden sculpture for Prince of Wales Secondary School. The piece was designed to sit within a student-designed garden space on the school grounds.

Envisioned initially in wood, we shifted to concrete for long-term durability and designed a modular system of identical components that could be assembled in a radial layout. The sculpture was intended to support outdoor learning and gathering, so we incorporated integrated seating by shaping a concave curve into the top of each module.

We facilitated co-design workshops with students at Prince of Wales, developing maquettes and ideas that reflected their vision for the garden. Daly Co. collaborated with James Spouler to fabricate the wooden pattern piece used to create the mould. Bower Design created the mould to cast the modules in various colours using concrete.

The site was prepared with concrete footings, and a threaded rod system was used to connect and secure each component during assembly.

Although stark upon installation, the piece was designed to age with the landscape — allowing the surrounding garden and plants to grow around it, gradually integrating the sculpture into the space like an architectural ruin.