122 | Rebuild comes to fruition The design included making flexible spaces that could also be opened using glass dividing doors that can open up the spaces. COMMUNITY Arthur St School & Naylor Love T T Rosa Watson Dunedin’s oldest school is set to become the city’s newest school when the doors to its new $15 million redevelopment open. Arthur Street School, that started life onboard the Phillip Laing ship on its way to New Zealand in 1848, will move into a new administration and teaching block with an adjoining hall and library, built by construction firm Naylor Love. The school, with a role of up to 200, moved to its current site in 1878, with one historical building on the site dating to this time that is now a heritage-listed building. Principal Kim Blackwood said the project was nearly a decade in the making. Since joining the school nine years ago, she had spent eight of those working with capital works at the Ministry of Education. The project was not about making the school bigger and increasing the role, as was the usual reason for most school upgrades of tired buildings needing upgraded. “It has been well-maintained from a painting (and upkeep) perspective, but just been getting very tired and dated.” A business case was developed in 2020 that identified the upgrade could be done. Once the build was across the line, demolition started early in 2022. In October 2022, Naylor Love began work. To accommodate the build, the school had had to be very flexible, Kim said. It operated from existing buildings and relocatable buildings that were placed at the site. They also had two classes operating from Otago Boys’ High School for a time, and we also spent twelve weeks in office spaces on Portsmouth Drive with two classes, with students being bussed back and forth. “We’ve had to be really flexible throughout this.” Once the new buildings are up and running, the existing buildings will be demolished. The heritage building will be transformed into a hard materials classroom – a project that is in the funding pipeline with the design phase yet to be carried out. It was a challenging project for the Naylor Love team, Kim said, being located on a “tricky” site and only having one entrance. Parking had also been an issue for the community. However, the community had been supportive and patient, and understood the school had the students’ best interests at heart. “There’s been lots of challenges along the way, but the flexibility of staff and our students is what I’m most proud of.” She said in creating the new spaces, consideration was given to what was needed for the school looking 50 years ahead. It also incorporated the philosophies of the school. A priority for the school was keeping single-cell classrooms – something that was important to the school community. The design included making these flexible spaces that could also be opened using “fourth wall” sliding doors that can open up the spaces. “We as a teaching staff and management believed in that. We fought hard for that to maintained in our school – it is ‘who we are’. The design included making these flexible spaces that could also be opened using glass dividing doors that can open up the spaces. “It’s a flexible working space that we’ve gone for, rather than that collaborative open classroom approach.” The new spaces created a modern environment for the school with double-glazed windows and good acoustics and lighting. The team was “incredibly proud” of what has been achieved. “Staff and students are really looking forward to moving across there.” Working with Naylor Love had been a “fantastic” experience, she said. It was a rigorous tender process and Naylor Love had shown it had the skills and expertise to get the best results. “We found them great to work with alongside our project manager from TBIG (The Building Intelligence Group). I can’t compliment them enough.” • Residential Glazing • Balustrades • Showers • Showerdomes PH: (03) 455 6134 | 45 Otaki St, Dunedin | www.aburnsglass.co.nz Aburns Glass Proudly associated with Naylor Love & Arthur Street School INVERCARGILL | QUEENSTOWN | DUNEDIN | CROMWELL | CHRISTCHURCH | AUCKLAND | WELLINGTON 0800 272 233 | USGenquiries@unitedscaffolding.co.nz | unitedscaffolding.co.nz
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