Selected Project
Clayton Park School
A school is a community resource. Schools provide a focus for community endeavours and activities, and allow for mutual growth of community and school life with the resulting development of a sense of place and local identity for all. With this philosophy in mind, S&T recently completed an Administration Block and Hall at Clayton Park School in Auckland. Working closely with the Principal and key stakeholders at the school, the team carefully planned the layout and design of the building that will become the focus for their community, welcoming outsiders and giving students, staff and the community alike, a sense of pride in their local school. The previous hall and administration blocks on the site were plagued by weathertightness issues. This single building replaces these leaky structures with a single building, housing both functions on a site that overlooks the nearby playing fields and ponds, and has easy access from the street. The administration side of the building is framed by a Pohutakawa tree and the building’s distinctive portico (inspired by traditional Maori architecture). This was key design theme as decided by the team to generate a sense of belonging, both on the site and within the community. The fun and lively green within the portico viewed from the street, with the contrasting charcoal-profiled metal, greets visitors to the school. The colours bring the playfulness of the school environment into the project. The woodwool ceiling panels of the hall provide superb acoustics for musical performances and the furnishings are hardwearing for indoor sport. The hall opens to the fields on one side and to the rest of the school on the other– providing opportunities to hold events that flow from the hall out to the deck and surrounding grounds. The viewing deck inside the hall (accessed via the mezzanine level) allows lights, sound and cameras to be set up for special events, and great viewing opportunities for indoor football.
- Category
- Education
- Location
- Auckland
