Business South May 2021

| 21 “The College House Chapel strengthening would be unique in the history of the practice, given its duration and complexity…” Wilkie + Bruce Architects Restoration of College chapel nears completion T Kim Newth The interior of the chapel is a ‘béton brut’ exemplar boasting concrete beams, white-painted blockwork and exposed timber trusses. DEVELOPMENT B uilt to a modernist masterplan by Sir Miles Warren in the 1960s, College House was the first halls of residence established at the University of Canterbury’s Ilam campus. A striking focal point within the complex is a tall copper-roofed chapel, considered one of Sir Miles’ supreme achievements. Closed since the February 2011 earthquake, the chapel’s technically challenging restoration is now in its final phase. After a 10-year hiatus, staff and students are looking forward to soon being able to fully appreciate this iconic building again. The restoration is on track for completion in mid-2021. College House echoes the Oxbridge colle- giate quadrangle tradition but the architecture is an expression of modern brutalism at its finest. The elevated chapel, with double-height interior and distinctive M-shaped copper clad roof, projects into the quadrangle. Inside, the chapel is a ‘béton brut’ exemplar boasting concrete beams, white-painted blockwork and exposed timber trusses. Having sustained moderate damage in the earthquakes of 2010/11 and being identified as unsafe, the chapel has been off-limits to students and staff for the past decade. Wilkie + Bruce Architects has been close- ly involved with the building’s restoration journey and, in conjunction with Holmes Consulting Group (structural engineering), managed the preparation of various repair and strengthening options. Following the appointment of One Four Ltd as project managers, Wilkie + Bruce Architects then took a lead design role, managing the lengthy resource consent process, along with building consent, and serving as architect for the procurement and construction phases. “The College House Chapel strengthening would be unique in the history of the practice, given its duration and complexity, but ulti- mately it has been a fascinating and reward- ing project,” says Hamish Peddie, Director at Wilkie + Bruce Architects. There is no doubting the considerable tech- nical challenges inherent in this project, such as the main chapel space being suspended at first floor level over thin concrete ‘pilotis’, the absence of service voids, and original struc- tural engineering that pushed to the limits of what was possible at the time. Project design has involved a multi-dis- ciplinary team including not only Wilkie + Bruce Architects, One Four Ltd and Holmes Consulting Group, but also Cosgroves (fire engineer), Pedersen Read (electrical engineer), Geotech Consulting Ltd, Rawlinsons (quantity surveying), Davie Lovell Smith (building and site survey) and Woods Harris (programming). Higgs Construction won the main contract for work on site, supported by a team of skilled subcontractors. Hamish says that meticulous care has been taken throughout this project to maintain the integrity of the chapel’s 1960s design and its prominence within the overall site plan, while also meeting the current and future needs of College House. “Sir Miles was consulted over the strength- ening proposal and is supportive of it.” Structural strength is being delivered through a new raft slab, new infill beams, new steel bracing and connections, carbon fibre wrapping, and crack repairs. An unusual aspect of the strengthening work is that it started from the top down, with roof steel bracing being installed before the foundation reinstatement had occurred. Other non-structural repairs, including to the roof and interior, have been completed in a way that respects the original design. New steel-framed windows are in a similar style to the 1960s originals and existing join- ery, light fittings and furniture was retained and renovated where possible. The chapel has also been updated to meet today’s fire safety requirements. Wilkie + Bruce Architects has worked with College House on various projects since the early 1990s but rate the chapel restoration as being in a class of its own. R.G. 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