Building Educational Futures: The Ongoing Partnership of Deicke Richards

In the dynamic world of architectural design and planning for education facilities, Deicke Richards is committed to long-term relationships and has a passion for creating spaces that facilitate learning and growth. Our continued work in this sector is a testament to the power of partnership and a shared vision for the future of education, through a deep understanding of the unique needs of each school and delivering innovative and practical design solutions. In a recent conversation with Architect and Associate Director, Tim Zieth, we discussed recent work across public, independent and special schools throughout Queensland.

Public School Projects: A Collaborative Journey

Deicke Richards’ involvement with public schools has been marked by a spirit of collaboration and a dedication to understanding the unique needs of each school. Tim discussed our extensive work with Logan Reserve State School, which is currently experiencing rapid growth.

“We completed a master plan for the school in 2019 which highlighted the growth in the school and the constrained site.  Since that time DoE purchased additional sites for the school and we revisited the master plan. With the current project they had a strong brief and a good site, but a relatively small budget. It was about working with them to understand what their priorities were and how we could be innovative with the funds to create the school they envisaged. As the school grows more phases of the master plan will happen. That’s the benefit of working with a school to create a thorough master plan – you have options for managing the growth of facilities to meet community demands.”

Our work with DoE has also extended into regional areas, including a new multi-purpose hall at Noosa District State High School’s Pomona campus, which is currently under construction.

Independent Schools: Nurturing Growth

Deicke Richards’ extensive work with independent schools underscores our capacity to understand and support the unique visions of each school. The practice’s commitment to long term relationships with schools such as Sunshine Coast Grammar, John Paul College, and All Hallows’ School has endured for a number of years, demonstrating the trust these schools place in our ability to help them achieve their educational goals.

“At John Paul College, we’ve undertaken multiple projects over a 15 year period, and developed a strong partnership with the school where we’ve seen them grow to almost 2000 students from Kindy to year 12. It’s quite phenomenal to see those early visions for the school become the reality all these years later”, said Tim.

Specialised Expertise: Special Schools and Beyond

Deicke Richards has been nurturing our expertise in special schools, a niche sector that demands a deep understanding of the unique needs of students with disabilities. We are dedicated to this area of design and focus on our collaboration with individual schools and the Department of Education (DOE). By working closely together with each, we have been instrumental in developing solutions that better cater to students’ needs. Our work demonstrates not only our expertise but also our commitment to creating spaces that promote inclusivity and accessibility in our communities.

Our most significant recent project is the Coomera Special School on Foxwell Road, a rapidly expanding school built from the ground up to meet the increasing demand for special education in the area. Deicke Richards played a pivotal role in helping the school identify a suitable site and develop a comprehensive master plan. Tim said, “This project was about bringing our expertise in education and special schools together to understand the evolving educational and support needs in this community so we could provide a tailored solution”.

“This work is very fulfilling for our team. It takes a very defined set of skills to do these projects, and the team has been developing a great deal of knowledge in this space over the years to ensure they add value for educators, students and their families”.

As we continue to collaborate with schools, adapt to changing guidelines, and navigate the ever evolving landscape of education design, Deicke Richards remains dedicated to creating spaces where students can thrive within their learning environment. Our commitment to building lasting relationships, understanding the unique needs of each school, and delivering innovative and practical design solutions has set us apart as a trusted partner in shaping our educational future.