76 | Don Jamieson Architecture ARCHITECTURE T T Sue Russell Don has acrued many years of experience Wellington architect Don Jamieson has acrued many years of experience working in the education realm, designing classrooms and associated school buildings, as pedagogical practices have evolved through the decades. One such school, Kilbirnie School in Wellington, has had a number of projects over the years designed by Don and the team and like many schools of its vintage, has undergone somewhat of a transformation away from the standard single cell classroom model, that were the common design of the day back in the 60’s, 70’s and beyond. Now, a more collaborative approach to how teaching is delivered and learning received has informed the way clasrooms are designed and work. Kilbirnie School’s collaborative learning hub, incorporates the ideas of 21st Century Learning Environment, as espoused by Prakash Nair and Randall Fielding. Space is designed to be used flexibly, where a multitude of activities at any one time can take place by small to large groups of students, often led by more than one teacher. “We did a lot of research into how best to position the building on its site, to capture the best sun, to link to its immediate environment and best serve the needs of students and teachers alike.” The school’s Principal and key staff also visited other schools to see how their learning environments worked in practice. This exercise helped inform their ‘wish-list’ that Don interpreted in the hub’s final design. “One of the big things is the school has quite an environmental learning leaning or focus? They have developed a garden to table programme for students and they wanted the growing area to link with the garden spaces.” Don says he is a strong advocate for timber construction, natural ventilation, and for bringing nature’s elements of light and warmth well into the building. “The hub is also a comfortable mix of open and more private spaces for students. Nooks and crannies providing them with opportunities to be quiet and more alone.” Feedback from the school, Don says, has been generally very positive, with staff and parents sharing that the new space is such an improvement from the more traditional teaching spaces of the past. “The teaching staff were involved in the building’s design for a period of three years. We made sure to put in really good accoustic materials, and sound-proofing to create acoustically comfortable learning spaces.” Don says the learning hub is the last of Kilbirnie School’s big projects, and completes a 15 year redevelopment of the school buildings. While designing for school’s is a core part of the work the architecture studio engages in, Don and the team also design for the residential, public and commercial spaces. Don works with a small team of designers and technicians. He says there’s a very collaborative engaging culture between colleagues, which, he believes, results in the best design outcomes for clients. He studied architecture at Victoria University before spending time overseas, which he says, only added to his design skills. Go With The Best - Stewart & Rogers Master Electricians Built On Solid Reputation & Expert Advice 24/7 Emergency - QUICK RESPONSE 0800 800 949 CONTACT US Service Repairs Energy Efficient Solutions Safety Checks Proudly Supporting Don Jamieson Architecture Monastra QS Consultants Ltd We are pleased to have provided Project Management & Quantity Surveying services to Kilbirnie School and the Ministry of Education for the new Whataitai teaching block. Congratulations to the school, consultant team and contractor on the successful completion of the project. 04 381 3314 • mqscl@xtra.co.nz • PO Box 6079, Wellington 6141 QUANTITY SURVEYORS • CONSTRUCTION COST CONSULTANTS • PROJECT MANAGERS Stace Diamond 021 222 5514 | Simon Miller 021 855 109 | office@advancedsiteworks.co.nz | www.advancedsiteworks.co.nz Specialising in Excavation, Siteworks, Demolition & Internal strip out work. 0800 666 556 | www.tris.co.nz Guiding Design. Informed Interiors. Don Jamieson Architecture is are an NZIA member and has extensive experience in Lifemark Design Standards. Lifemark Design Standards promotes and endorses well designed homes that create safe and easy spaces for people to live in regardless of age and situation.
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