8 | The University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka has completed a $14 million transformation of its 1923 Consumer and Applied Science building, officially renaming it the Annie Stevenson Building. The Category I historic landmark has been repurposed from specialised, but dated, laboratory, learning and office spaces into an open-plan office environment for the university’s executive leadership team, including vice-chancellor Grant Robertson. The project has gained significant industry recognition, shortlisted for two Property Council New Zealand awards: the Heritage and Adaptive Reuses Property Award and the Commercial Office Property Award. Gordon Roy, the acting director of property and campus development, says the project originated in 2018 as a refurbishment for the Department of Food Science. However, the scope quickly changed after a seismic assessment identified the building as earthquake-prone, requiring a total exit of the building. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated a rethink of campus space. Rather than returning to the original plan, the university adapted to changing educational demands by converting the building into a hub for collaborative, modern office work. “It started off as a food science project and ended up getting delivered as a new home for the vice-chancellor and senior leadership team. It’s not your typical project pathway,” Gordon says. Strengthening measures to address the seismic deficiencies were designed to be discreet, preserving the iconic bluestone and Oamaru stone exterior and maintaining positive heritage outcomes. Engineers utilised vertical grout injection and horizontal tensioning rods that wrap around the building’s perimeter, essentially ‘tying’ it together, while internal work included rebuilding two main spine walls from the foundations up. “There’s an awful lot of work that’s gone into the building that you don’t see,” Gordon says. “Sometimes, that’s the mark of a good heritage project – that you finish the building and it looks largely untouched.” Interior spaces have not been partitioned off for traditional closed-in offices; instead, five ‘meeting pods’ sit like stand-alone rooms within the high-ceilinged spaces. “The project was also an opportunity for the vice-chancellor and his leadership team to lead by example, modelling the use of open-plan space,” Gordon says. A passenger lift that had been ‘shoehorned’ into the original staircase was removed, allowing the restoration of the timber stairs University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka Heritage retained in building upgrade As part of the transformation, the 1923 Consumer and Applied Science building has been officially renamed the Annie Stevenson Building, in honour of the noted food science alumna. T TKim Bowden REGIONAL contractors of choice Painters & Decorators JAMES WREN & CO LTD 50 Carroll Street PH: 03 477 9384 www.wrens.co.nz EST 1896 Contracting Painting, Decorating Programmed Maintenance Solid Plastering Specialist Coating Tiling Textured Coating as a central architectural feature. Further design elements were integrated with the help of Dunedin consultants, iwi-led Aukaha, with Kāi Tahu artist Ross Hemera creating custom artwork for the building’s glass partitions and fabric wall linings, using patterns that tell the story of the local land and its people. “The interior speaks to a more modern way of working, providing a positive adaptive reuse of one of our many heritage buildings on campus,” Gordon says. The new name honours Annie Stevenson, a food science alumna. “This was a great opportunity for the university to champion female alumni, celebrating their achievements through naming of buildings and facilities, of which there are currently few recognised on campus,” Gordon says. The university is one of the largest custodians of heritage buildings in New Zealand, managing approximately 25 scheduled structures. “Managing the property portfolio requires a constant trade-off between honouring the university’s legacy and meeting the functional, financial, and technological demands of a modern campus,” Gordon says. “We are deeply committed to our heritage assets, and this is a great example of adaptive reuse, security the building for future generations to enjoy.” T: 03 477 5214 E: architect@bakergarden.co.nz W: www.bakergarden.co.nz Proud to provide architectural services to the University of Otago PROUD TO SUPPORT University of Otago Since 2006 Specialist heritage stone, plaster and brickwork. wainwrightandhickey.co.nz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=