Jagera and Turrbal
Queensland
Brisbane
Maison Barat is more than a building, it’s a catalyst for growth and connection, setting a precedent for how educational architecture can balance heritage and innovation, formal structure and natural informality. Embracing unique site conditions celebrating the Australian context, the design delivers a precinct that is purposeful and distinctly of its setting where young learners can thrive in harmony with nature.
Respectful in scale, contemporary in function and deeply rooted in place, Maison Barat enhances the significance of the campus without dominating, bookending the iconic A-frame chapel while remaining unmistakably a building of its time.
One student shared, “I love the Junior-School because it is a small and safe place where everyone can be themselves, while still being part of the bigger Stuartholme community.”
Maison Barat shows that when architecture listens-to country, to heritage, to children-the outcome is not simply a building, but a catalyst for growth, connection and joy.
The Junior School building benefits the way we educate by providing flexible learning spaces that allow teachers to adapt environments for explicit instruction, collaborative work, or independent learning. These spaces also enable differentiation across three levels in literacy and numeracy, something not achievable in a traditional classroom. The expansive hallway and breakout rooms provide additional learning areas, including quiet zones for independent study or students needing a calm space. The downstairs eating and play area doubles as an outdoor learning environment, connecting students with nature. Calming, nature-inspired colours enhance wellbeing and focus, supporting innovative teaching and fostering confident, engaged learners.
Bretton Watson, Project Architect
Jaie Brown, Designer
Mark Barlow, Technician
CONSCIA, Project Manager
TTW, Structural Engineer
TTW, Civil Consultant
PLACE DESIGN GROUP, Landscape Consultant
WSP, Services Consultant
RLB, Quantity Surveyor
ETHOS URBAN, Town Planner
Mckenzie Group, Building Surveyor
WSP, ESD Consultant
WSP, Lighting Consultant