116 | COMMUNITY Arthur Street School: Naylor Love Top marks for Arthur Street School makeover T T Emma Bailey New life for school Kākāpōtahi will be a home for Te Ao Māori and performing arts, Darfield School: Bushnell Builders T T Rosa Watson Students at Darfield High School near Christchurch have returned for the new school year to a fresh and functional arts block in a $1.25 million refurbishment. Principal Andy England says the majority of work on the long-awaited redevelopment has been done and is on track to be completed by the school’s 75th jubilee being held from 27 February to 1 March. “That date has driven the deadline, but the driving force has always been our vision of students enjoying their schooling, and being proud of their school.” The school hall, Māori, music and drama rooms, have been the main area of focus. Large sliding doors and windows have been introduced in the music block, along with a deck that connects it with the exciting, refreshed Māori space — Kākāpōtahi. Kākāpōtahi will be a home for Te Ao Māori and performing arts, and includes a deck, shared with the music block, that creates a stage for an outdoor performance space. “It is now a fit-for-purpose area that has new Autex soft acoustics wall coverings,” Andy says. Funding for the project was raised through 5YA (Five-Year-Agreement) funding, along with additional funds raised from the disposal Dunedin’s Arthur Street School has completed a major renovation, which has created a warm, bright and modern learning environment that has been a hit with students and staff alike. It is Dunedin’s oldest school, and the major overhaul saw the existing 1970s’ buildings replaced with a new administration and teaching block, adjoining hall, library and a new turf in the $13 million redevelopment. Arthur Street School principal Kim Blackwood said the four-year project at the primary school had been worth it. “Ultimately, it is about providing the right learning space, and we have achieved that. It has great acoustics and lots of natural light, and it is warm.” It also includes a new turf, which the Board funded. It was quite a journey getting to completion. The project started in 2021, and three years into the build, teachers and students moved back into the incomplete site. of school properties. “It’s been a long time coming. The main thing we’ve wanted to do is to create a centre for culture in our school, to uplift the arts and Māori. Previously, the area was looking very tired. “It’s a thriving area and it’s doing really well at the school. This will lift up the arts and that was the driver behind the project.” Andy says Christchurch-based Bushnell Builders, who were the main contractors for the project, had been fantastic to work with. “They’ve got a real attention to detail and quality.” The Kākāpōtahi extension had required considerable structural work. “They had to work hard over the summer holidays to get the area ready for classes, starting work once classrooms had been cleared in November. “The builders worked extremely hard over the break to make sure the hall was open to us. So was drama and music.” This was despite hold-ups with delays in materials arriving and weather issues including windstorms, rainstorms and 30degC-plus temperatures. He also acknowledges the work carried out by project managers Logic Group and architects Harford McGuire. “We had four years of work on the site, there had to be lots of flexibility, but I think at the end of the day everyone would say it was worth it,” says Kim. “Just after Covid we went straight into construction.” This is not the first site for Dunedin’s oldest school. It started on board the Phillip Laing in 1848, where the immigrants’ school teacher, James Blackie, held classes. On the ship’s arrival, the school was transferred to a waterfront site near the foot of Dowling Street, where it was known as the Beach School. In 1864, the school was shifted to the corner of Tennyson St and York Place, where it was known as the Middle School. In 1878, it was shifted to its present site and renamed Arthur Street School. “We have four hubs with nine teaching spaces and breakout spaces for learning. We also have the flexibility for communal learning too.” 03 344 5972 | bushnell.co.nz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=