The brief called for a dedicated home for senior students in Years 11 and 12 – a place they could “live and learn”, with a mix of educational and social spaces that support autonomous, incidental and collaborative learning, as well as strong connections to the wider campus and landscape.

Sited to open up and redefine the campus, the new building reorganises existing facilities in line with the College masterplan and captures views across the hills and oval in both directions, while providing highly flexible learning environments that support a range of contemporary pedagogical models and cohort sizes.

Architecture & Design: Can you describe the initial vision for this project and how it evolved over time?

Cley Studio: The initial vision for the Senior Hub was to create a dedicated environment where senior students could “live and learn” – a building they could call their own, with a rich mix of social and learning spaces that reflects the College’s focus on educating the whole person. The project set out to replace outdated cellular classrooms with a contemporary, flexible facility that supports a variety of pedagogical approaches, and to use the new building as a catalyst to open up and redefine the entire campus in line with the broader masterplan.

As the design evolved, this vision was refined into a highly connected, flexible spatial arrangement that could support everything from small group tutorials to large cohort gatherings and examinations. Operable walls, indoor–outdoor learning spaces and varied volumes were developed to encourage autonomy, collaboration and incidental learning. Externally, the building form, materiality and colour strategy were honed to both reference and refresh the existing red-brick campus, creating a bright, welcoming senior environment that supports transition to tertiary education and the wider world.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during the design and construction phases, and how did you overcome them?

One key challenge was integrating a substantial new building into an established campus while maintaining day-to-day operations and preserving connectivity between existing facilities. This required careful staging and siting to ensure that the Senior Hub could open up and reorganise the campus without disrupting learning or compromising safety. Close collaboration with the College and contractor, along with detailed planning around circulation, access and construction sequencing, helped manage these constraints.

Another challenge lay in delivering a high level of flexibility within a defined budget, ensuring that spaces could transform easily between different modes – from traditional classroom teaching to collaborative, social and examination settings. This was addressed through the strategic use of operable walls, robust and adaptable furniture, and multi-purpose spaces that can expand or contract as needed, allowing the building to support evolving pedagogical models without requiring significant future modification.

How did you ensure that the project met the client’s needs and expectations?

We ensured the project met the College’s needs through an ongoing, user-focused design process grounded in the previously developed campus masterplan. Regular workshops and design reviews with school leadership, teaching staff and key stakeholders tested layouts against specific pedagogical requirements, cohort sizes and supervision needs, ensuring that each space supported both current and anticipated teaching and learning modes.

Detailed planning of classroom configurations, social spaces, staff areas and support amenities was continually refined in response to feedback. Particular attention was paid to the relationship between classrooms and informal learning zones, visibility of staff areas, and the integration of indoor–outdoor connections. This iterative process helped align the final design with the College’s aspiration for a senior hub that supports autonomy, collaboration and a smooth transition to post-school environments.

Were there any unique or innovative techniques or materials used in this project?

The Senior Hub incorporates several innovative strategies that support contemporary learning and campus identity. Internally, extensive use of operable walls and glazed partitions enables classrooms to be configured for groups of between 10 and 28 students, or opened up for larger gatherings, exams, exhibitions and performances, providing a high degree of spatial agility. A fully indoor–outdoor learning condition is created through large up-and-over doors and oversized operable glazed walls and sliding doors allowing learning and social activities to spill into the landscape.

The building’s expression and materiality also reflect an inventive approach. Externally, two distinct brick colours palettes and careful detailing are used to break down visual bulk and introduce a sense of playfulness within a predominantly red-brick campus, while slatted, coloured steel columns celebrate entry and signal the senior identity of the building.

Internally, a triangulated design language runs through lighting, joinery and bespoke furniture, while pinnable and writable surfaces, colour cues drawn from the four College Houses, and a robust sustainability strategy (including additional insulation and low-VOC materials) all contribute to a healthy, engaging and adaptable learning environment.

How does this project fit into your broader portfolio and design philosophy?

The Senior Hub aligns closely with our broader approach of user-centric, collaborative design that responds directly to the needs of its community. It extends our work in contemporary education environments by creating flexible, connected spaces that support a spectrum of learning modes – from traditional classroom teaching to informal, student-led and social learning – within a coherent architectural framework.

Within our portfolio, this project exemplifies our focus on designing for transition and wellbeing: it recognises senior students as young adults, giving them a sense of ownership and autonomy while maintaining clear connections back to the wider school community. The building’s careful siting, its relationship to the masterplan, and its emphasis on natural light, landscape connection and material warmth all reflect our belief that educational architecture should be inclusive, adaptable and deeply supportive of the people who use it every day.

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