Mitchelton State High School
Mitchelton State High School
Client:
Queensland Department of Education
Location:
Mitchelton, Brisbane
Status:
Completed, 2021
Traditional Custodians of the Land:
Turrubul and Jagara people
Contact Person:
Lawrence Toaldo
Mitchelton State High School was selected as part of Queensland Government’s ‘Renewing our Schools’ program, providing an opportunity to determine a prioritised scope of work within a fixed budget.
Three critical projects were identified by the school including a new Multi-Purpose Hall to replace their existing facility, a new Resource Centre and a new Covered Sports Court.
Preliminary analysis indicated that the school could either select a new Multi-Purpose Hall or Resource Centre within the budget. Our team suggested a rethink of the proposed brief via a blue-sky workshop. This workshop concluded that rather than demolish the existing 1960’s era sports hall, it could be “re-skinned” and transformed into a new facility without significant loss of capability to the school. This strategy enabled all parts of the project to be delivered within the brief as well as a significantly reduced construction timeframe.
Mitchelton State High School’s ambition of delivering inclusive education played a major role in the design. Their goal was for students to have access and fully participate in the learning process to encourage critical thinking through enquiry and problem solving.
The existing sports hall was entirely stripped back, and the structure retained to form the bones of the new space. The entry forecourt provides a generous external multi-purpose gathering and learning space, that also acts as a foyer for hall functions. Entry to the hall is via internal sub-foyers that sit either side of an amenities and servicing hub and contains the audio-visual control room for the hall stage. The southern foyer provides the primary access and box-office functions, while the northern foyer doubles as a school art gallery space.
The Resource Centre combines the school’s Information Technology Hub, Library and Montessori Learning Centre into two north-south oriented pavilions, joined by a single planar roof. The pavilions are sited at different levels in response to the topography and are joined via an internal ramp network. The Montessori Learning Rooms, new Information Technology Hub and Resource Centre and Staff Room, are located on a lower level within the library while distance education rooms are co-located on an upper level.
A single, cohesive roof element sails the building and folds in an upward and downward formation to improve visual presence and reduce solar gain as required. The roof form gestures toward the adjacent road and provides a visual beacon marking the school’s presence.
Significant glazing is provided to the hall’s façade, maximising visual permeability and access of natural daylight. An awning skirts the entire perimeter, providing shade and weather protection as well as adding character to the existing building.
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Client:
Queensland Department of Education
Location:
Mitchelton, Brisbane
Status:
Completed, 2021
Traditional Custodians of the Land:
Turrubul and Jagara people
Contact Person:
Lawrence Toaldo
