2020 Auckland Architecture Awards Winner
Western Springs College Ngā Puna O Waiōrea Redevelopment
This project involved a massive overhaul of a tired campus overburdened with relocatable classrooms and car-dominated courtyard spaces. The architects’ first transformational move was the development of a school masterplan that prioritised the students, making the connections between the buildings almost entirely pedestrian focused. The two new teaching blocks impart a contemporary university sensibility to the campus. One of the blocks, housing the jewel in the school’s crown, Ngā Puna o Waiōrea, the college’s Māori immersion-Rumaki unit, is the product of a collaboration with local mana whenua artist Graham Tipene, whose knowledge of the whakapapa of the area was applied to the creation of integrated art pieces. The almost aircraft hangar-sized opening to a capacious kapa haka stage is a sight to behold. The school’s transformational results in both student attendance and academic achievement are testament to the quality of the new campus, and the pride it has engendered in students and the wider community.
