The initial brief from the Department of Education was aspirational - a new vertical campus that could sit proudly within the Boggo Road Health and Knowledge Precinct, provide outstanding educational facilities to the growing inner-city population and be a worthy partner to Brisbane’s famed State High. The relatively small site required the height of the buildings to be balanced with the requirement for maximum green space.

Enter the school through the large outdoor court and you’ll experience a welcoming space that’s open and generous. It invites participation with the school and its grounds, and promotes public access to the facilities. Pass through this portal, and you arrive in the central terraced garden; a learning ‘oasis’, not only a green heart for the campus but also a sheltered space for outdoor learning, social interaction and play.

Within the buildings, flexibility and collaboration have driven every design decision. The Learning Hubs include general and specialised learning facilities for STEM(M) subjects, communication, humanities and social sciences. Groups of diverse spaces operate together rather than as independent classrooms to facilitate team and project-based learning. These are open to circulation zones and divided by glass stackable walls enabling high visibility and participation between.

Understanding the Indigenous Dutton Park habitat was a key aspect to the holistic nature of the design. The architectural language is derived from the Indigenous heritage of the site as a place of making, expressing the craft of net weaving and tool carving within the metalwork and concrete tectonics.

Key spaces within the school are angled towards special views, light or aspect, connecting the school to its place and heritage. Extensive native landscaping ties a wide variety of outdoor spaces together.

Sustainability permeates the design and educational philosophy of the school. Solar power, water harvesting, natural ventilation and low energy systems reduce impact. Active transport facilities and connections to public transport provide the platform for an educational focus on a “sustainable world” through recycling facilities and systems throughout the school.

Brisbane State Secondary College is a campus designed for excellence: in teaching and learning, in engagement and collaboration, and connections to Country. A new school model for a new generation of learners.