St Bede's Catholic College, Chisholm NSW

Challenge

St Bede’s Catholic College was a greenfield site designed to accommodate over 1000 secondary students from Year 7–12. The project was planned as a multi-stage development over 12–14 years, requiring long-term design strategies that could adapt to ongoing growth.

The site presented a unique challenge: it was completely devoid of trees and natural shading, leaving the landscape fully exposed to heat in summer and strong winds during other seasons - creating an immediate need for functional, shaded areas using park shelters and shade structures for students between and around the buildings.

Because the project would be built in stages over more than a decade, product selection needed to be carefully considered to ensure that school outdoor furniture in later phases would match and integrate with those installed in the early stages.

Material Requirements

Playground furniture and shelters needed to be durable, sustainable, and low maintenance, suitable for a school operating from day one. Shelters needed to withstand strong winds common for the area and provide functional shade. They, along with the furniture, had to offer colour and customisation options that would allow them to blend seamlessly with the architecture of the buildings and natural environment. 

Solution

GX Outdoors supplied a complete suite of furniture, public shade structures and modular seating, allowing the school to fully outfit outdoor spaces with products that are durable, low maintenance, and visually cohesive with the campus architecture. All products are Australian-made and backed by a 20-year warranty, ensuring long-term performance. 

Large shelters, such as the Red Gum Shelter with its 6m × 6.4m footprint, provide generous shaded areas for students to gather, study, or take breaks, creating comfortable outdoor zones on hot days. The Riverside Cantilever Shelters form a corridor of shade, linking different parts of the campus and improving circulation between learning, social, and sports areas.

GX Outdoors shelters are engineered to minimise on-site labour and reduce reliance on heavy machinery — supporting faster installation and lower project costs. See a real-world example of a two-person crew completing a shelter installation in just three hours below.

Tables and seating solutions, including the Metro Table Setting with Shelter and HYVE Table Setting and Bench Seat in TimberImage aluminium, offer versatile spaces for group learning, breakout activities, and informal social interaction. TimberImage gives a natural timber look with the durability of aluminium, supporting long-term use while blending seamlessly with the surrounding architecture.

The Integra EX Bin Enclosure ensures waste management is discreetly integrated, keeping the outdoor areas functional and tidy. Each structure was finished in a combination of premium powder coating (selected from our 55+ colour range) and TimberImage, ensuring a cohesive look that blends naturally with the architecture and landscape. 

The addition of GX Outdoors street and park furniture has completely transformed the school’s outdoor spaces into vibrant, multifunctional environments. Once open and exposed, these areas are now comfortable, useable zones that support both recreation and education - from lunchtime gatherings to outdoor learning sessions. 

Hear from SHAC Architects and Terras Landscape Architects as they share the design vision and outcomes behind the St Bede’s project in the design story video below.