Built on the site of an old dairy farm, Murrumba State Secondary College is one of the first high schools to be awarded a 4 star Green Star rating in Queensland.
PDT was commissioned to design the Murrumba State Secondary College as part of a public private partnership delivered by the Aspire School Consortium. The green field site was originally a mix of farmland, mango orchards and a koala habitat bush land and had a significant environmental focus with the aim of achieving a 4 star Green Star Design and As Built.
The college was designed to deliver a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and incorporates a natural koala habitat and features a windmill which aerates the existing dam on site. The windmill also provides a vertical point of interest (on an otherwise low-rise site) while subtly referencing the site’s farming history and acting as an eco-signifier.
A key consideration was to provide an energy efficient building and roof structure which reduces heating and cooling costs and provides students and teachers with a healthy environment. The PDT design has capitalised on the prevailing natural breezes for building ventilation by locating many of the facilities in a North-South orientation, allowing 90% of the buildings to operate using natural ventilation throughout the year with ceiling fan assistance only.
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