Reddam House School, North Sydney Campus

MBM Project Lead

Richard Smith

Client Name

CBUS Property

Sector

Timeline

Project Value

MBM Project Team

  • Nicole Liu

Services Provided

The project was led by Associate Director Kelvin Perrie and Quantity Surveyor Nicole Liu, with our team providing post-contract Quantity Surveying services for the financier as well as Independent Certifier services.

Project Background and Scope

The Reddam House North Shore Campus marks a transformative adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed Simsmetal House, originally designed by the renowned modernist architect Harry Seidler in 1971. Situated at 41 McLaren Street, North Sydney, this eight-storey site has been revitalized from an outdated commercial building into a state-of-the-art vertical K–12 school, blending its architectural legacy with innovative design. The campus, which opened in 2025 can accommodate up to 1,350 students in a modern and inspiring learning environment.

The campus offers a wide range of state-of-the-art facilities, including science laboratories, art and music studios, a sports hall, dance and drama spaces, libraries, and dedicated senior study areas. Terraces at multiple levels, together with a rooftop play area offering harbour views, provide valuable outdoor spaces for play, relaxation, and informal learning. In collaboration with Built Development Group, Inspired Education, and Built Australia as the head contractor the project featured significant structural modifications, including state-of-the-art auditorium with retractable seating.

Project Challenges

Transforming the heritage-listed Simsmetal House into a modern vertical school required balancing strict heritage preservation with extensive structural modifications. The challenge lay in adapting an iconic Seidler-designed building to meet contemporary educational needs

MBM Solutions

MBM’s involvement ensured rigorous cost control and governance throughout the adaptive reuse of this architecturally significant building. Our collaborative, detail-focused approach helped bring to life a world-class educational facility that now serves over 1,300 students. The success of the project highlights MBM’s ability to add value on complex refurbishments – balancing heritage considerations, tight urban constraints, and evolving stakeholder needs to deliver outcomes that stand the test of time.