TAFE IATC Kingswood | Modern Training Facility Design

Client Hindmarsh Construction/ ACT Government
Sectors
- Education
Services
- Civil
- Structural
Year 2024
Location Taylor, ACT

Last Project
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Designed for learning, connection, and community, Aunty Agnes Shea High School provides contemporary educational spaces and shared facilities that honour local heritage while supporting Canberra’s rapidly growing northern suburbs.

Partnership

Hindmarsh partnered with Northrop to deliver Aunty Agnes Shea High School, seeking a trusted team to ensure a smooth, high-quality outcome. Northrop’s Sydney office led the full design phase, while Canberra provided ongoing support during construction through site inspections and local coordination. This collaborative approach enabled a seamless transition from design to delivery, meeting program, quality, and safety objectives.

Project

Aunty Agnes Shea High School was developed to meet the growing demand for high‑quality public education facilities in the rapidly expanding Gungahlin region of Canberra. The flagship secondary school delivers modern, accessible learning environments and is designed around contemporary pedagogical principles and community use. The campus comprises two main buildings with a range of specialist learning spaces, including performing arts facilities, flexible outdoor and indoor learning areas, and integrated spaces for students with diverse needs, providing a supportive and inclusive environment for up to 800 students and associated staff.

Consistent with the ACT Government’s commitments to sustainability and climate action, the school features fully electric operations, sustainable materials, double‑glazed windows, and a large solar photovoltaic array, supporting long‑term energy efficiency and reduced emissions.

The school also delivers extensive community‑accessible facilities, including a double gymnasium with multi‑sport markings, covered hard courts, kickabout spaces and external fitness areas, underscoring its role as a community hub for Taylor and surrounding suburbs.

Delivery

The school is built on a challenging sloping site, with most buildings single-storey and portions of the teaching blocks and large sports hall spanning two levels to work efficiently with the terrain. Appointed late in the program, Northrop’s team delivered the structural design within a compressed timeframe, using Austruss systems to accelerate construction and reduce costs. Our engineering solutions ensured a robust, buildable outcome that aligned with the client’s objectives for sustainability, accessibility, and long-term performance.

Impact

Aunty Agnes Shea High School is more than bricks and mortar, it’s a place where culture, community, and learning come together. Named in honour of the late Ngunnawal Elder, Aunty Agnes Shea, the school honours local heritage while creating a space where students and the wider community can connect, learn, and grow. By establishing a new hub in Taylor, the project supports not just education, but the social and cultural fabric of the area, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.

Images via TJ Garvie and HCreations