Brisbane South State Secondary College

The rise of the vertical campus

Designed by BVN to reflect its inner-urban setting, Brisbane South State Secondary College's (BSSSC) vertical campus is a first for Brisbane's CBD. The vertical campus consists of flexible and resilient buildings that adapt to changing learning pedagogies over time, providing opportunities for collaboration and connection, not commonly available in traditional low-rise school buildings. The new school sits within the Brisbane Knowledge Corridor and is an integral part of the leading education, health, research and hospital precinct.

Brisbane South is designed as a vertical learning city where students connect and participate in learning across the campus

Unlike a traditional school where a series of low-rise buildings are disconnected by both location and discipline; where typically one might have found the science labs a short walk to the humanity’s classroom block; a vertical campus encourages the inter-connection of disciplines. In a traditional model, students tend to specialise as they get into their senior years, no longer engaging or interacting with the learning activities from a different discipline. This leads to a singular perspective instead of project-based work which traverses across a number of streams. Rather than siloing learning areas, the vertical campus locates STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) together with creative, humanities and health disciplines, fostering engagement and serendipitous interaction.

BSSC’s vertical campus has five new buildings that connect across all levels via the use of expansive galleries and large open stairs. Think of this model as a series of vertical city streets, networks that students navigate, allowing for multiple choices, through galleries and up and down stairs. This offers autonomy for the students, and an ease of circulation; deciding which path to take will devise either a short cut to make it to class on time, or a or slower meander through the campus. There is a transparency and ease of movement throughout the different levels of the buildings, offering glimpses into diverse learning environments and activities.

By utilising open and adaptable spaces, cross pollination allows for greater inspiration, collaboration, and diversity of communication, broadening perspective and increasing inspiration and creativity.