124 | Rangiora High School/ Kobe Construction T T Kim Newth New school whare almost complete The open gable form has an imposing presence on the school site. COMMUNITY When Bruce Kearney took up the job of principal at Rangiora High School two years ago, one of the first requests he made to the school board was for a new school whare. It is now all but finished on a prominent site on Wales Street. Fully funded by the school board, the $1.2 million multi-purpose Te Whare Mātauranga (house of learning) is on track to open this winter. The feedback from whānau two years ago was that the school’s existing old whare in a prefab was no longer fit for purpose. “It was way down the road - across the road from the school in fact - and behind some bushes,” says Bruce. “What I was also hearing from the community at the time was how amazing it would be to have that building on land where the school is.” Mana whenua have been front and centre in this exciting project, with Ngāi Tūāhuriri involved right from the beginning. Designed by Stufkens + Chambers Architects and built by Kobe Construction, the new 171sqm whare includes a large, multi-use cultural/teaching space as well as a substantial mahau space (or covered entrance) looking out to Maukatere/ Mt Grey. “Primarily, the whare will be used as a classroom - and we want as many students going through there as possible – but most importantly, it creates a sense of belonging for our Māori and Pasifika students and gives them a place at the heart of the school and that’s really important for us. The covered entry is the real moonshot. It’s an incredible part of the building as it allows us to have outdoor music concerts and other events there. We have a place for powhiri at the start of the year – it is going to be of immense use to the school.” The open gable form has an imposing presence on the school site. Bruce says anyone standing in front of the building will feel its effect. “It’s a very emotional journey when you first walk up to the building.” While the whare is due to be finished by mid-July, landscaping around it is still a work in progress. The official opening will be scheduled for some time this winter. Kobe Construction’s team started the whare build last Christmas. While the project has not been under strict time constraints, Bruce says the Kobe team has still nonetheless pushed forward as efficiently as possible. “They have been amazing to work with and have shown a lot of professionalism in how they work in our school environment. Their workmanship on this impressive building is outstanding.” Rangiora High School has also been in the spotlight this year after retrofitting Rakahuri - a large, open plan central learning building that originally opened at the school in 2017 – to include single-cell classrooms. “It has been a game-changer – that building still feels open inside but now functions flexibly as it was meant to. It’s really important for schools to review how things are going and be prepared to change. That’s what happened here. The refurbishment has been incredibly successful and shifted the community’s perception of that building.” Another new addition at the school is a purpose-built technology shed for Level 1 and 2 building classes, fully equipped for a range of building projects from garden sheds to tiny houses. The school is also seeking funding support to build a new, multi-functional performing arts centre that could be shared with the community. Rangiora High School has a current roll of 1650 students and room for further growth. Bruce is confident the school is moving in the right direction, not just in terms of physical buildings but also in its key focus on growing kindness in the school and community. “I believe the perception of the school is very much on the up.” Nulook Canterbury proudly supports Rangiora High & Kobe Construction www.nulookcanterbury.co.nz RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE www.scarchitects.co.nz l Ph 03 365 8582 Talk to us today, the feature profile experts Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz PROFILE YOUR PROJECT...
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