The Forest High School
The Forest High School
The Forest High School (TFHS) is relocating to Allambie Heights and will accommodate a projected cohort of up to 1,500 students. Architectus is engaged to prepare a functional design brief, master plan and full design services from concept to completion of the project.
Located in Frenchs Forest, the site is surrounded by native bushland and sits on a plateau, offering panoramic views over the 2,200-hectare Garigal National Park, the Pacific Ocean and Sydney’s CBD.
The brief is to deliver a secondary school that reflects the school’s priorities of fostering a sense of community, building meaningful connections with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and creating spaces that support strong performing arts and sporting achievements.
TFHS will feature contemporary flexible and outdoor learning spaces, a new library, canteen, administration spaces, multi-purpose and performing arts hall outdoor sports field and courts, including a 3G FIFA-compliant sports pitch, with generous landscaping. These shared-use facilities will be accessible to the community.
Informed by the site context, our concept emphasises the connection with Country, natural landscape, and community. Designed as a large courtyard campus, TFHS is connected by a continuous accessible circulation path, the Learning Loop. The loop links classrooms with the landscape around the internal edges of the campus buildings and serves as a bridge between buildings and learning neighbourhoods. Buildings are purposely realigned towards the contours of the site and changes in topography to enhance the outlook with glimpses to the ocean, bush treetops and cityscape in the distance.
The Learning Loop is a visual cue that encourages students’ daily movement throughout the school, strengthening the sense of connection with Country, surrounding environment, and community.
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