Arms Race? Not Us.

As a person who can be popularly characterised as an ‘elder’ these days, it’s no surprise that I still read The Saturday Age. It’s an opportunity to slow down, catch up and hopefully engage in a few long-form journalistic pieces and a bit of sports editorial too. 

So colour me surprised to read an article in last weekend’s edition on private‑school capital works that placed Woodleigh School’s Futures Studio squarely alongside eight and even nine‑figure projects being undertaken by other Independent schools. Our inclusion was very misleading.

From top to bottom, the Year 10 Futures Studio cost approximately $6 million. That money has given us 850 m² of learning space, and equates to a total footprint cost of around $7,058 per m². This figure included substantial costs for solar and battery systems, as well as extensive campus infrastructure extensions and landscaping. Pull these costs out, and the building alone cost us approximately $4,000 per m², sitting on par with contemporary public school builds. 

More importantly, the Futures Studio was conceived for learning, not lavishness. It houses our Year 10 Regenerative Futures Program, a project‑based curriculum that integrates sustainability literacy with social‑emotional learning and community engagement – an approach consistent with Woodleigh’s long‑standing values. The building runs on solar power with battery storage and provides living systems (green roof habitat, aquaponics) that are used as everyday teaching tools, not ornaments. 

Independent recognition of the Studio has focused on learning and sustainability outcomes, not extravagance. In 2025, it won a Victorian Architecture Award for sustainable architecture and received a commendation in Educational Architecture, with jurors praising the way the building sequesters carbon and embeds regenerative practice into teaching spaces. It also received Best in Category – Architectural Design at the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards. These citations speak to purpose and impact, not opulence. 

Design choices were driven by whole‑of‑life thinking and student experience. The Studio comprises flexible learning spaces and a homestead‑style communal kitchen that strengthens relationships – the heart of effective schooling. Materials and systems were selected for health, re‑use and carbon performance (e.g., Durra straw panels, reclaimed furniture, hemp joinery, recycled cork façade, living green roof), and were assembled via near‑zero‑waste methods. These details reflect a commitment to regenerative learning environments, not an attempt to “out‑spec” our neighbours. 

We have open‑sourced the Studio’s designs so other schools and community groups can replicate or adapt the model at lower cost. We did this precisely to share a practical template for climate‑positive, student‑centred design – quite the opposite of an “arms race.”

Woodleigh believes – and our staff, students and families know – that relationships and experiences are paramount in education. Facilities play a supporting role. When a building earns awards at Woodleigh, it is because it helps teachers know students well, enables collaborative, real‑world learning, and makes our environment healthier and more resilient. That’s what the Futures Studio does every day.