Figurehead Construction

About the winning project

The Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) supports high-achieving Victorian government secondary school students with state-of-the-art learning spaces, specialist facilities and leading expertise, offering a unique pathway for students to transition from secondary to tertiary studies. CHES is set among the dense urban fabric of South Yarra. This site presented a challenge, being sleeved between buildings with a high-rise to the south. Innovation in both design and construction was required to deliver this first-of-its-kind school. Catering for approximately 325 students in physical attendance, the project comprised of four agile learning neighbourhoods located on Levels one and two with informal breakout spaces leading through to the specialised learning settings, including tertiary stand laboratories and fabrication workshops.