Loreto Kirribilli

Direct Client Loreto Kirribilli
Builder Richard Crookes Constructions
Architect fjcstudio
Sectors
- Education
Services
- Civil
- Integrated Buildings
- Structural
- Sustainability
Value $30M
Year 2021
Location Kirribilli, NSW

Last Project
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Partnership

Northrop collaborated with fjc studio and Richard Crookes Constructions to deliver civil, structural, and sustainability engineering services for the design and construction of ‘Spiritus’—Loreto Kirribilli’s new seven-storey Innovation Centre.

Seamlessly integrated into the existing campus, the centre features a variety of flexible, future-focused learning spaces and studios to support the school’s expanding STEM curriculum for Years 7 to 12.

Project

Loreto’s Kirribilli campus has expanded on the site over the past 200 years, and now consists of many buildings of varying construction materials and scales. Excavated into a steeply sloping site, Spiritus interfaces with three adjacent buildings, providing better connectivity through the campus. The development also took the opportunity to improve the functionality of the existing gymnasium and junior school buildings.

Delivery

Key structural challenges included integrating the new building with adjacent existing structures and managing complex excavation and ground conditions. Adopting a practical approach to risk management, we worked closely with geotechnical and construction teams to adapt the design as needed on site. By leveraging and testing the existing structure to support new loads, we minimised the need for additional strengthening. The result is a smart, efficient integration of old and new with minimal structural redundancy.

Northrop also provided sustainability consulting throughout the project, with key initiatives including a high-performance façade featuring a bronze-toned metal mesh to reduce light and heat transmission, and a design that promotes natural ventilation through openable windows and doors. These outcomes were achieved through close collaboration between the sustainability, mechanical, and architectural teams.

Imapct

This exceptional building is a key milestone in the school’s 50-year Master Plan—shaped through extensive consultation and guided by the evolving demands of modern education. Spiritus delivers a diverse range of flexible, purpose-designed learning spaces and studios that foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, stimulate creative and critical thinking, and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset—setting a new benchmark for the schools of the future.

“Our partnership with Northrop has always been enjoyable. We get a lot out of the design process and collectively solving complex problems together. As practices, we both have a mutual respect and there was a real give-and-take with this project. We had high aspirations for this project and working with Northrop, the results speak for themselves.” Elizabeth Carpenter Managing Principal – fjcstudio