bnr-heretaunga-college
  2. What We Do
  3. PROJECTS
  4. Heretaunga College

Heretaunga College

The redevelopment of Heretaunga College adapts and entwines existing buildings with new to create an environment for modern learning and future flexibility.

Location

  • New Zealand

Client

  • Ministry of Education

Project Status

  • Completed 2013

Awards

  • 2013 NZIA Local Award - Education

The existing 1950’s timber framed ‘Henderson’ wings have been strengthened and opened up to create a shared learning area. New teaching and learning spaces are also clustered around the flexible shared-learning areas for each wing. This central space is formed in both plan and section to maximise natural ventilation and lighting by use of roof lantern windows at high level. Sliding glass doors and internal glazing between the refurbished ‘Henderson’ wings and new spaces have improved passive surveillance, visibility and natural light quality. A central internal street or ‘Spine’ replaces a meandering series of dark damp corridors to connect the entire school and provides social spaces including a student run café and catering kitchen along its length.

By integrating and adapting the reuse of existing building fabric with outstanding design coordination from the WSP team, enabled the transformation of virtually the entire campus within the budget, allowing the school to shine through.

The school was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key in February 2013 and the sentiment of the design outcome was summed up by Head Girl Haylee Groenveld in her speech ‘We now have something that shows on the outside how good we know we are on the inside’.

 
img-heretaunga-college1

Other challenges that we have overcome