Windsor Inner North Secondary School

Windsor Inner North Secondary School

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Education

Client
Brisbane Catholic Education

Collaborators
Hayball Architects,
Burrundi Design Studio in collaboration with the Turrbal & Yaggera people

Disciplines
Landscape Architecture

Location
Windsor, QLD

Date
2025-2029

Imagery
Courtesy of Hayball

Windsor Inner North Secondary School (WINSS) is a transformative education project responding to the growing demand for co-educational secondary schooling in Brisbane’s inner north.
Windsor inner nth secondary school

Tract was engaged by Brisbane Catholic Education to help realise its first state-of-the-art vertical secondary school, grounded in the Catholic values of Excellence, Integrity, Justice, Hope and Reconciliation.

Windsor inner north secondary school

Led by Hayball Architects, the school has been designed to accommodate more than 900 students from Years 7 to 12. Scheduled for completion in 2029, this future-focused campus will redefine contemporary learning through its innovative vertical school model.

At the heart of WINSS is a rich and immersive landscape that responds creatively to the site’s steep topography. A sequence of diverse outdoor environments supports students throughout their educational journey, beginning with a welcoming arrival experience and the Fig Tree Walk, an elevated landscape spine framed by two mature fig trees.

The natural landform is shaped into terraced gathering spaces that accommodate everyday student life, informal learning and large-scale performances, extending the adjacent performing arts facilities.

Windsor inner north secondary school

At the centre of the campus, the central open staircase, Aptly named The Gorge transforms a significant site constraint into a defining landscape experience, creating a lush microclimate that celebrates wind, water, sun and shade. Developed in collaboration with Burrundi Design Studio, it will embed the cultural narratives of the Turrbal and Yaggera peoples throughout the campus.

Extensive on-structure landscapes and native planting enhance biodiversity, support student wellbeing and bring biophilic benefits to key learning environments. The landscape journey culminates at the Rosary Lawn, a space for reflection and gathering that acknowledges the site’s history while aligning with Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ vision of stewardship and care.

Windsor inner north secondary school
Windsor inner north secondary school

This project places student wellbeing at its core, creating adaptable outdoor spaces for learning, play, creativity, social connection and quiet retreat.