118 | COMMUNITY Waihi School: Henderson Building PROUD TO SUPPORT WAIHI SCHOOL Supply • Installation • ProjectManagement Get in touch Our expert teamspecialises indeliveringcommercial flooring solutions - on time andonbudget. Ready to start acommerical project? 036844049 info@dorescarpetcourt.co.nz 41 BankStreet, Timaru, Canterbury 7910 On track with new facility Henderson Building began construction in June and is scheduled for completion by January 2027. T T Emma Bailey Waihi School’s expansion of its boarding facility, Pyne House, is progressing well, with the project on target for the start of the 2027 school year. The construction is in response to the continued growth in demand for boarding at Waihi based in Winchester, following the school opening up to female students six years ago. Located north of Timaru, Waihi School is an independent preparatory school for children in Year 5 to Year 8. The Pyne House expansion will not only expand boarding facilities but also cater for the wider school, Headmaster Gareth Wood said. It features a fully enclosed atrium which increases the common room footprint by onethird, providing ample additional space. There will be two new dormitories adding 22 new beds, a dedicated day girls’ locker room, a new girls’ locker room for boarders and a new ablutions block. Henderson Building began construction in June and is scheduled for completion by January 2027, in time for Term 1, 2027. “The concrete pad is laid, the frame up and the trusses with the roof to go on in a few weeks,” he says. “The communication and planning has been first class and they (Henderson Building) have been very aware of the deadline (to open at the start of term next year). “The atrium will increase the common room which will be great, particularly in winter.” The construction has not affected the students or the boarders. “As soon as they leave for school at 8.30 they are gone for the day until 4.30. There are two classrooms near the development but they haven’t been affected. There has really been no disruption whatsoever. “Often in class breaks, the students are watching what’s happening at the site; you can imagine the excitement when the concrete truck was there.” The expansion had triggered new fire regulations so more sprinklers had to be added which would be carried out during the school holidays. “There will also be spaces that will cater for visiting schools; we will have a changing room and locker room for when we host other schools.” He had been blown away by the success of the fundraising for the project and the support from the community. Over $1.33 million has already been raised. “It’s not just the current community, but old boys and past families that have donated. We did a series of events around the South Island, myself and the Fundraising Lead, to get the ball rolling. I have only been here for a year so it was a great way to get to know the wider Waihi community. “I have had so many good people around me for this journey,” he says. The school has to apply to the ERO office for a change of operation and that can only be ticked off when the work has been completed. The Waihi School Board who oversaw the 2007 Pyne House build showed remarkable foresight in their planning allowing for a future second phase. The new development mirrors the existing building and complements its architecture perfectly. The power of the written word. New Zealand Business News, delivered to you.
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