St Paul’s School – Sutton Senior Building

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The Sutton Senior Building was designed to be the most energy efficient building on the campus at St Paul’s School.

Project Details

Architects
Rachel Towill, Towill Design Group

Address
34 Strathpine Road, Bald Hills Brisbane QLD 4036

Submitter
Rachel Towill

Cost
$4.305,000.00 ex fees and council costs

Photographer
Scott Burrows

Project Overview

The Sutton Senior Building replaced a 1960s building which accommodated English, History and Geography -this building contained asbestos and no materials could be salvaged. The Senior Sutton Building accommodates these subjects for the senior students (Year 10 – 12) as well as housing the School’s International School community, with the international students now being located in the heart of the school.

The building houses:
• Ten learning areas (including a mini lecture room),
• Break out learning zones,
• International school reception & classrooms,
• Staff workrooms,
• Hospitality teaching areas
• Cafe & external seating area

The architects held extensive workshopping with senior staff early in the design process, discussing and challenging the evolving teaching & learning methods used within the school. It was important that the design of classrooms reflected spaces used in tertiary education; resulting in a combination of flexible arrangements as well as formal and informal teaching spaces. 

Environmental design decisions were discussed with both staff and the school council so  that all parties could understand how the building would look and operate. The Sutton Senior Building is now the most energy efficient on campus by:

  • Minimising excavation by following the natural contours, 
  • Using steel faced sandwich panels which provide high insulation for the walls and roof, 
  • Reverse brick veneeris used for the upper floor, reducing fluctuation in temperatures 
  • Robust materials were selected for the building perimeterto reduce maintenance
  • Natural light is encouraged through low and high level windows and louvers 
  • Natural ventilation is achieved through using a Building Management System which operates the windows and air conditioning depending on the temperature. 

The landscape architect designed the new landscaping, new senior courtyard & connecting  pathways to reinstate a stronger axial connection between junior and senior school.

Towill Design Group is currently working with Architecture and Education senior staff at QUT (Queensland University of Technology) to conduct further post occupancy studies with the students and teachers of the building to discover how their new learning environment effects their studies, classroom participation and student & staff morale.