Several Elkay EZH2O Vandal-Resistant drinking water stations have been installed around the campus at Fortitude Valley State Secondary College in inner-city Brisbane. The Elkay EZH2O was the drinking water station of choice for the new school – the first vertical school in all of Brisbane.
A common sight in many parts of the world, vertical schools are still a novelty in Australia, particularly in the government education system. However, the typology is increasingly becoming relevant as more families opt to live in inner-city areas because of their proximity to work and lifestyle amenities. With high-value knowledge-intensive services further transforming Brisbane’s economy, a corresponding focus on urban renewal is driving greater residential density. The Queensland state government has responded to this development by creating two new vertical schools in inner-city Brisbane, one in Fortitude Valley in the inner north and the other in Dutton Park in the inner south.
Designed by Cox Architecture, Fortitude Valley State Secondary College is not only the first vertical school in Brisbane but also the first school to be built in the inner-city area in more than 50 years. Located on the grounds of the former Fortitude Valley State School, which was closed in 2013, the new school opened in January 2020 with 150 junior students – a number that is expected to grow to 1,500 students by 2025.
The design process, which involved a diverse group of participants from government, school leadership, QUT and the design team, generated a reference design that considered the physical constraints and opportunities of the urban campus, its broader precinct and approaches for maximising the educational possibilities of the urban setting.
Elkay was the preferred drinking water station of the school with close to 20 units installed around the campus. The EZH2O Vandal-Resistant chilled and filtered water unit is the perfect choice for a school campus as it enables staff and students to have access to clean and refreshing drinking water on the go. The drinking water station also features a bottle filling counter that allows users to fill their reusable bottles while educating students on the positive impact they’re making to the environment by saving single-use plastic bottles from the landfill.
