Oakhill College Innovation Hub

Direct Client Mostyn Copper
Builder FDC Construction & Fit Out
Architect BVN
Sectors
- Education
Services
- Structural
Value $25M
Location
- Sydney

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Located at Oakhill College in Castle Hill, the completed Innovation Hub provides new facilities for the Science and Technology faculties, supporting the College’s growing enrolments and accommodating up to 900 students.

The three-storey facility brings together science and preparation laboratories, classrooms, timber workshops and landscaped outdoor learning areas. The design places timber at the centre of the building’s architectural and structural expression, with European Spruce internal columns and beams sourced from Austria, complemented by Victorian Ash external columns showcased within the ground-floor undercroft. Northrop partnered with Mostyn Copper and Viridi from the early stages of the project, providing structural and timber engineering services. As the project progressed, our team was novated to project builder FDC, continuing to work closely with the project team through delivery.

The floor structure combines timber, steel and concrete, using the strengths of each material to create a self-supporting, long-span solution. The project also incorporated a novel suspended slab and curtain wall system, making the Innovation Hub the first project in Australia to use this particular combination. Our team worked closely with the broader project team to resolve the structural interfaces and deliver the ambitious architectural vision. The hybrid approach was complemented by Passive House principles and a considered use of timber, supporting the project’s focus on sustainability while creating a warm and engaging learning environment.

By combining innovative structural design with extensive timber elements, the project demonstrates how material selection and engineering can work together to create efficient, buildable and distinctive learning environments. The new facilities give students access to purpose-built spaces designed to support hands-on learning, collaboration and innovation for years to come.