The Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES)

Driven by leading pedagogical research and innovation, The Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) supports high-achieving Victorian government secondary school students with state-of-the-art learning spaces, specialist facilities and leading expertise, offering a unique pathway for students to transition from secondary to tertiary studies.

Designed by Fieldwork and Brand Architects for the Victorian School Building Authority, CHES is set amongst the dense urban fabric of Melbourne’s South Yarra, on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the East Kulin Nations. The challenging site, sleeved between high-rise buildings to the north and south, drove the team to explore innovative ways to connect students with natural light, ventilation and landscape to improve learning outcomes—a pursuit developed in consultation with Dr Ben Cleveland, Associate Professor in Learning Environments and Co-Director of LEaRN at Melbourne School of Design.

CHES sets a new benchmark for pre-tertiary educational facilities in Australia, a testament to the design team’s rigorous engagement and implementation of leading pedagogical research. The project’s delivers progressive teaching and learning environments that fuse connections to nature with incidental opportunities for learning and development.

What's On

Join the design team from Fieldwork, Brand Architects, and Openwork, along with CHES’ School Principal Stewart Milner for a tour of the space, followed by a panel discussion that explores the topic of the role of design in fostering learning.

Meeting point: Meet at the foyer of CHES. Please enter from Chapel Street.