122 | Cultural narrative reflected in buildings The range of kowhaiwhai patterns encompassed within the buildings, etched on to the timber beams in the library, and featured along the fascia defining the roof edges of the two new buildings and tying them together, represent the three iwi that make up the Mana Whenua. Golden Bay High School: Naylor Love T T Virginia Wright COMMUNITY Located near the top of the South Island, Golden Bay High School has a relatively stable roll of 330 students, who come from the top of Takaka Hill through to Onekaka towards Collingwood and out toTōtaranui. When Jono Hay took up his position as principal at the beginning of 2024, he arrived to a campus where a comprehensive development was almost completed, including two new buildings that had just opened and the refurbishment of several more. “The new builds are beautiful, light, airy learning environments that are climate-controlled, comfortable places to be and work,” Jono says. The range of kowhaiwhai patterns encompassed within the buildings, etched on to the timber beams in the library, and featured along the fascia defining the roof edges of the two new buildings and tying them together, represent the three iwi that make up the Mana Whenua. The buildings are named Tainui and Tokomaru, after the ancestral waka of the Mana Whenua, the two peaks representing their hulls, and all part of the place-based narrative distinct to Golden Bay High School, Te Waka Kura o Mohua. “We’re particularly proud of the cultural narrative of this area, of Mohua, Golden Bay, which is interwoven into the building design through a partnership with Manwhenua ki Mohua,” says Jono. “It’s unique to us because it celebrates the history of Golden Bay, and it strengthens the school’s connection with the community and models the bicultural partnership and collaboration that we’re strongly committed to.” On a practical level the rebuild delivers state-of-the-art facilities, including a whare, a library, staffroom and leadership and administration spaces in Tomokaru; and nine classrooms in Tainui. The new development encompasses and makes the most of the old buildings. With administration now in Tokomaru, its former home has become the performing arts hub, refurbished along with the other buildings to provide improved thermal efficiency, lighting, and improved acoustic performance, along with new fittings and furnishings. Tokomaru now connects to the “lightly” refurbished old hall, which still holds school assemblies, and, thanks to careful design, it all comes together as a seamless whole. Tainui’s nine classrooms cater primarily for English and the Humanities at one end, and Years 7 and 8 at the other, all ready to cater for modern educational practices. “They’re flexible learning spaces, so they’re designed as single-cell learning spaces, and there are smaller break-out rooms that can be opened to be used in flexible ways,” says Jono. With sustainability front of mind, the buildings incorporate energy-efficient materials, solar panels, rainwater harvesting and low-emission HVAC systems. All of this, combined with the beautifully integrated cultural narrative, won recognition as an outstanding project for Naylor Love Canterbury, with a special award at this year’s New Zealand Commercial Projects Awards. With only the technology building to go, Jono has no doubt that the comprehensive rebuild has enhanced school life for students and staff alike, encouraging aspiration at all levels. Providing Project Management and Quantity Surveying services in partnership with Golden Bay High School. 021 0828 0753 office@noblepm.nz www.noblepm.nz “We’ll see you right” Proud supplier of materials for the Golden Bay High School rebuild. Trade Sales | Joinery | Farm Sheds | Timber | Power Tools | Paint
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=