Narrabundah College has been part of the local community since 1960, and in 2022 funding was announced by the ACT Government to modernise the college.
Works are underway on the brand-new Design, Arts, Technology and Science (DATS) building for Narrabundah College. This is a $31.9 million investment towards the modernisation of the college.
These modern learning environments will create an inclusive and dynamic educational experience for all students.
Learning areas will include Food Technology and Hospitality, 2D and 3D Art, Digital Media and Digital Technology, six Science Labs, and Flexible General Learning Areas.
The new Design, Arts, Technology, and Science (DATS) building is expected to be completed in 2027.
Artist Impressions of the new DATS Building
There’s lots happening at our school at the moment! Our new Design, Arts, Technology and Science (DATS) building is really coming to life. The scaffolding around the new building is beginning to come down, and you can now see what the outside of the building will be like when it is finished. It’s a nice sneak peek of what’s coming. The whole scaffold is expected to be fully removed by the end of March.
Inside the building, things are taking shape too. Wall sheeting has started on Level 1 and on the ground floor the team is getting the floors ready, and continuing drainage work in the wet areas.
Everything is moving along nicely and we’re looking forward to students and staff enjoying the new learning spaces at the start of the 2027 school year. If you have any questions, please contact the ACT Education Directorate at ACT.Education@act.gov.au.
The Narrabundah College Modernisation Project is making exciting progress, with work on the new Design, Arts, Technology and Science (DATS) building ahead of schedule and now more than halfway finished.
Construction will continue through 2026. Students and staff are expected to move into the new spaces at the start of the 2027 school year.
If you have any questions, please contact the ACT Education Directorate on ACT.Education@act.gov.au
The Narrabundah College Modernisation continues to progress smoothly, and the structure of our brand-new building is taking shape.
The first level framework is nearly finished and works on the roof structure will begin soon. During this stage, the building will reach its full height, and the main framework will be completed.
These works are not expected to cause any disruption to the school or to student learning this term.
The ACT Government Narrabundah College modernisation project team will be hosting a drop-in ‘Open House’ community information session on Thursday 13 March 2025, from 4pm - 7pm in the College hall.
Drop in at any time to learn more about the project, ask questions and gather information. You will be able to:
- View the plans for Stage 1 of the project – the DATS building (Design, Art, Technology and Science)
- Speak to members of the project team, including College staff, Infrastructure Canberra, the Education Directorate and design team
- Ask questions and provide feedback about the project.
Construction is expected to begin by May 2025 with the works anticipated to be completed during the 2027 school year. The construction start date will be confirmed closer to the time.
We look forward to sharing more with you and continuing the conversation about Narrabundah College modernisation.
Date: Thursday 13 March 2025
Time: 4pm - 7pm
Location: Narrabundah College hall
Online option
Alternatively, you can email ACT.Education@act.gov.au to register your interest in an online information session in March. Further details including date and time will be provided shortly.
What we heard at the ‘Open House’ is summarised in the Narrabundah College Open House Engagement Report.
Stage 1 of the Narrabundah College Modernisation project will feature the construction of the new Design, Art, Technology, and Science (DATS) building.
The facilities included in the new building will be:
- two chemistry labs
- a biology lab
- two dry labs
- a physics lab
- flexible spaces
- Hospitality/Vocational Education Training and Food Technology
- 2D and 3D art
- Digital Media and Digital Technology
The sketch plans for the DATS building are being finalised. They will be shown publicly in Term 1 2025, in an ‘Open House’ community information session to be held in the College hall.
The ‘Open House’ will be hosted by the infrastructure project team, with the date and time advertised in advance in our college newsletter and on this web page.
We have been provided an indicative timeline of construction preparation commencing around May 2025. However, we are advised that timeframes cannot be confirmed until closer to that time. The indicative stage 1 construction completion timeline is around late 2026 to mid 2027.
The ‘Open House’ information session is a great opportunity for members of the community to learn more about the project and ask any questions they may have.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please contact the ACT Education Directorate by emailing ACT.Education@act.gov.au.
We are pleased to announce that Project has been appointed as the head contractor for Stage 1 of the Narrabundah College modernisation project.
Once completed, the college will be able to cater for up to 1100 students and offer a broader range of subjects. Stage 1 will focus on constructing a new Design, Art, Technology, and Science building, featuring innovative facilities to enhance the learning environment for our students.
The Education Directorate will share the contractor’s designs with the community when they are developed, in the coming months.
Construction is expected to be completed during the 2027 school year, with works carefully planned to ensure the continued, safe operation of the college throughout the project.
We look forward to seeing these exciting developments come to life and will keep our community updated on the progress.
We have reached a major milestone in our college modernisation with tenders for construction of Stage 1 of the project now open.
Stage 1 will deliver a brand-new Design, Art, Technology and Science building. This will provide for food technology and art rooms, plus new science labs.
Caption: Artist’s impressions of what Stage 1 – the new DATS Building – will look like.
Frequently asked questions
Feedback received has been used to:
- identify what is important to the community
- inform options to modernise Narrabundah College, and
- inform architectural concept planning.
A key goal of this project is to maintain the quality and standard of learning at Narrabundah College and aim for minimal impact through this modernisation process. The safety of students and staff and ensuring continuity of learning is a high priority of the ACT Government.
Construction has begun on the Narrabundah College modernisation project.
The new DATS building will be built in the area outlined in blue on the bottom left of the image below:
The DATS building construction will cause some disruptions to carparking and movements around the college.
The carpark at the intersection of Green Street and Walker Crescent (circled in orange in the image below) was taken offline from the end of May 2025.
An alternative, temporary carpark is available at the southern end of Green Street, in the area outlined in red in the image below:
Are there changes to existing school buildings or movement within the school during the modernisation project build?
The covered walkway adjacent to A Block and the Canteen will be closed on the western end. This will mean students will no longer be able to enter and exit from the Green Street carpark side. Instead, students coming from student parking can enter and exit past L Block.
If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with staff at the College reception.
If you would like more information about the Narrabundah College modernisation project, contact ACT.Education@act.gov.au.
Have a question?
Extensive planning has taken place to minimise disruption from the construction for the college and community. Learning will continue onsite as usual during construction. If you have any questions for the college, please email info@narrabundahc.act.edu.au.
For all other project questions please email project team on InfrastructureCanberra@act.gov.au.
For more information about the Narrabundah College modernisation project, please also visit the Built For Cbr website.