92 | COMMUNITY St Hilda’s Collegiate: Stevenson & Williams T T Karen Phelps New life for St Hilda’s chapel and hall St Hilda’s Collegiate School Chapel and Whitby Hall is undergoing a transformative redevelopment project that will see the school’s spiritual and social hub restored to its former glory, says Louise Taylor, Member of the Board of Proprietors and Trustees and Chair of the Development Working Party. “The Chapel has always been the heart of the St Hilda’s community however new fire regulations have meant that the school can no longer accommodate everyone together for worship and reflection. “The redevelopment of the Chapel will allow the school to bring everyone back together and revive an important tradition. “The Chapel will increase in capacity to 550 seats, making it possible for the entire school to worship, meet, share events and come together,” she says. The Whitby Hall will be rebuilt to a multi-use space that includes a student kitchen, cafeteria, break out teaching spaces and a new library. The library will be relocated to a mezzanine in Whitby Hall, integrated with areas for students to work, read, meet, eat, and host school events. All the new spaces are designed to enhance the sense of belonging and community that underpin effective learning. Architectural Designer Cameron Grindlay of Dwelling Architectural Design has designed innovative spaces for teaching, studying, reading, socializing, and meeting, making it a truly modern learning and living space, says Louise. “Cameron’s respect for the special character of St Hilda’s comes through in the beautiful design, which will result in a light filled space with stunning views across Dunedin and Otago Harbour”. She says the Whitby redevelopment project provides the school with the opportunity to completely re-think what a library should be in the digital age. Students have all the information they could possibly want at their fingertips, so the need for large reference sections and periodicals has gone. “Cameron’s respect for the special character of St Hilda’s comes through in the beautiful design, which will result in a light filled space with stunning views across Dunedin and Otago Harbour”. T T to page 94 Students are all very excited about what this project will mean to them. Having a space for socialising and meeting together will improve their school experience, and supports the school’s stance of no devices for junior students at lunchtimes. “Our vision for the school is to provide the facilities to match our outstanding teaching and learning programmes, and to ensure that future generations of St Hilda’s students can continue to experience a quality education,” explains Louise. The Chapel and Whitby Hall project is well advanced in construction and the Chapel is expected to be in use for term three (July) this year. Louise says this is an exciting development for the school, and by the end of the year Whitby Hall will also be in the commission phase ready for term one next year. Exterior Plaster Cladding Specialist Professional plastering services across Dunedin and The Wider Otago Area From New Home Builds to Renovations, Commercial, Fences, Walls, Hearths, Surrounds, and much more. Our highly experienced and professional team can complete a variety of projects big and small, all finished with a high level of workmanship. P 021 0276 3331 W dennisonplastering.co.nz Contact us for an obligation-free quote
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