Located in a rapidly developing outer suburb in Melbourne’s south east, Officer Secondary College is designed to build strong community connections, and provide technology enabled, differentiated learning environments that support personalised, student-centred learning.

The design features differentiated learning spaces across a double-storey layout to encourage increased collaboration between students and team teaching among staff. Each of the six learning communities includes a diversity of spaces to support different modes of learning, including large collaborative spaces that can accommodate up to 50 students, together with informal, social and creative learning areas. The design enables teachers to move through the spaces throughout the day, utilising the areas most suited to the varied learning needs of their students.

The College campus incorporates a specialist wing specifically designed for teaching science, art and materials technology, and a central Administration and Multi-purpose Community Hub which houses administration offices, a dedicated resource centre, and a range of multi-purpose areas which are shared with the Specialist School adjacent and the local community. Developed in collaboration with Cardinia Shire Council, the Administration and Multi-purpose Community Hub includes an indoor multi-purpose stadium, a performing arts space, and kitchen with barista facilities which were designed to be utilised by the College and Specialist School during class hours, and opened for authorised community use on afternoons and weekends.

"Exceptional master planning of the Officer Secondary College supports the approach of strong community connections through display of multiple entries and articulated forms generating a series of ‘connected communities’."

Jury Citation, A4LE Australasia Region Educational Facilities Awards