The project creates a centre for senior students to learn and study that is intended to be a bridge to post-school learning.

The new learning spaces hover over staff parking to create a new setback to Hyatts Road. The new façade evokes memories of the sunshading of the existing building that it enveloped whilst presenting a contemporary facility to the public frontage.

The deep floorplate is toplit by south facing clerestoreys that create a colourful crown to the rectilinear form and slide back into the existing trussed roof of the old building.

Learning spaces are flexible to allow didactic learning, collaborative teaching, group work, study or exam modes. Visual and physical connectivity between spaces is important to ensure learning is visible and accessible.

Client:             Anglican Schools Corporation

Location:         Oakhurst

Cost:                $4.5M

Size:                 1,840sqm

Contractor:     Steve-Watt Construction

Status:             Completed 2022

Honours: Commendation, 2026 LEA awards

Alleanza Team: Matias Kiialainen, My Luan Hua, Dave Bryant

Collaborators: Shelmerdines, DBA Hydraulics, Birzulis, TGS Landscapes, DFP Planning, Spoke Acoustics, Benchmark Building Certifiers, Partners Energy, Bluestone Management, Vista Access

Photographer: Jarrod Bryant

Excerpt from the 2026 LEA Awards Commendation;

The Senior Studies Centre at Richard Johnson Anglican College is a thoughtfully designed renovation and expansion project. It was based on a planning process that widely and actively involved stakeholders, informed by multiple consultations. This approach resulted in a design that fully meets the educational requirements and stands out for its seamless and consistent integration of a variety of sub-spaces.

The philosophy behind this cleverly designed and well-executed project is summed up by the College principal’s statement on Learning Environments that ‘authentically reflects the College’s vision and equips students for the next stage of their learning journey’.