Business North October 2021

98 | College catering for future growth karen Phelps The buildings open to a plaza complete with basketball facilities and general amenities so students can enjoy the outdoors during breaks. COMMUNITY Rosmini College A major development at Auckland’s Rosmini Collmege has set the school up for the future with ability to assist many more students, says Catholic Diocese of Auckland property portfolio manager Michele Elsmore. “While the school has Ministry of Education approval to enrol 1200 students the previous buildings meant this wasn’t possible as there were not sufficient classrooms. When we build we build for growth taking the opportunity to refresh old buildings and take a master plan- ning approach to the site going forward. We have built vertically going up three levels, which has also meant we can give back green space for outdoor activities,” she says. The school now has four additional teaching spaces to provide for the burgeoning demand. It has also built eight replacement classrooms. The buildings were designed by Eclipse Architecture and built by Cassidy Construc- tion. Construction on the project started in late 2019 and the classrooms were officially opened August 10 this year. Michele said the Covid-19 lockdowns provided some obstacles to the project but close communication by the team enabled the project to progress smoothly once building could commence again. This saw the project timelines essentially pushed out by about six weeks. The project was constructed on an exist- ing tennis court area. This means a separate entrance could be constructed to the site to enable works to take place with minimal disruption to the school activities. The Rosmini College project includes a music suite on the top level connected via a bridge to the auditorium. There is also an art suite with adjacent spaces for students to work independently on projects, a food tech classroom on the ground level next to a café so students can complete barista and hospi- tality training, and a Te Reo room. These complement eight new general teaching spaces. The buildings open to a plaza complete with basketball facilities and general amenities so students can enjoy the outdoors during breaks. The old eight classrooms will be demolished and the space converted to green space and a new administration building, which is in the design phase. Michele says the project has re- sulted in better, healthier spaces for students to help them learn. “The students have been very taken with the end result, especially the outdoor spaces,” she says. “The classrooms will be more comforta- ble and support their learning.” Michele cites the assistance of teaching staff that was involved in the project from the outset, and the great relationship with Cassidy Construction, who the Diocese had worked with on previous projects, as vital to the project’s success. For example Rosmini College included driven pile foundations and Michele says close communication between Cassidy Construction and the school meant that noisy works took place outside school hours or the school term to minimise disruption. When exams took place likewise construction activities were managed to ensure students could still perform to the best of their ability. Cassidy Construction recently completed the new St Luke’s Church at Flat Bush and a two storey, 12-classroom block at Marist School Mt Albert for the Diocese. “We will continue to work with Cassidy Construction, inviting them to tender for future projects,” she says. The next large project the Diocese is working on is St John the Evangelist School in Otara. The whole school is getting rebuilt on a portion of the site, which the existing school remains operational. “The old school was a series of single level buildings, which included a lot of relocatable buildings. “The new school will be better connected, visible from the street, and will accommodate present students as well as future growth. It’s a very exciting project.” Also designed by Eclipse Architecture, the project has been in the planning stage for a number of years and is now around halfway through construction. Michele says the project is due for delivery early 2022. 09 415 8269 o ce@mcbplumbing.co.nz mcbplumbing.co.nz mcbplumbingltd Proud to work with Cassidy Construction PlumbingWith A Passion • Phone 09 827 0697 • 1016C Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland • P.O. Box 80237, Green Bay, Auckland Proud to be Suppliers of the Mechanical Services at Rosmini College for Cassidy Construction