Margaret Rice Place
CLIENT
St Joseph’s College
YEAR
2025
In creating Margaret Rice Place, Macksey Rush Architects delivered a considered and contextually aware vertical school that meets the social, physical, and pedagogical needs of its young learners – all within the constraints and character of an existing urban building.
Margaret Rice Place is the vertical precinct for Year 5 and 6 students at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace. This adaptive reuse project transforms a six-storey institutional building and landscape into a dynamic learning environment. Macksey Rush collaborated closely with the client to test various age groups and uses against the building’s zig-zag floor plate, budget, topography, and vertical school model – ultimately selecting an upper primary cohort.
Margaret Rice Place, named after the mother of Blessed Edmund Rice founder of the Christian Brothers, reflects the compassionate spirit at the heart of St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace. Her care for the poor deeply influenced Edmund’s vision for inclusive education. Fittingly, this new campus precinct warmly welcomes the youngest members of the Terrace community.
Retaining the building’s strong and well-preserved façade offered sustainability, planning, and character benefits. By embracing the building’s quirks and inherent qualities, the architectural team was able to incorporate core design principles: access to natural light and ventilation, framed views and vistas, and a meaningful connection to the surrounding landscape.
The lower three levels – connected directly to the ground due to the site’s slope – accommodate high-activity community spaces such as play areas, assembly zones, the canteen, and a welcoming reception accessed via the crest of Quarry Street. The heart of school life resides within a two-storey amphitheatre connecting Levels 1 and 2, with introspective and flexible spaces including the library, a student wellbeing hub, a STEAM lab, and multipurpose gallery. The middle levels accommodate 14 classrooms, strategically placed to reduce vertical travel and ensure proximity to both community and specialty spaces. The upper levels are dedicated to performing arts and music- recognising their vital role in the school’s cultural life.
A new external six-storey circulation spine was introduced at the centre of the street-facing northern façade to improve movement and provide outdoor learning zones on each level, while refurbished existing stairwells now support both emergency and daily circulation. Classroom clusters welcome adjacent breakout areas and external access, offering diverse learning settings tailored to student needs. Varied ceiling heights -achieved through careful coordination with building services -further enrich the spatial experience and support differentiated learning environments.
Natural light and ventilation are prioritised through a single-loaded corridor layout that frames expansive views across Spring Hill, Brisbane city and surrounding vegetation. Original façade elements – such as exposed concrete and cavity brick – were retained and celebrated, complemented by a restrained external palette and red accents that assist navigation. Internally, a dynamic mix of neutral tones and colour themes on each level fosters place-making and supports wayfinding.
Acoustic treatments throughout help manage noise, while generous undercroft spaces and landscape-integrated play areas support daily recreation and social development. Collaborations with planners and landscape architects allowed for reduced vehicular requirements and maximised green space, with shaded plantings designed to buffer the urban surrounds and enhance street amenity.
Margaret Rice Place redefines urban education with its innovative vertical design – offering young learners an inspiring, inclusive, and adaptable space to thrive.
