Wainuiomata High School rebuild

This four-year project involved the complete redevelopment of the only high school in Wainuiomata. With nine staged handovers, we demolished 7,000sqm of existing buildings, conducted 3,000 cubic metres of bulk excavation and backfilling to stabilise the site, built 4,000sqm of general and specialist teaching spaces, and remediated a further 3,500sqm of existing buildings. The remediation works involved seismic strengthening, weathertightness upgrades and refurbishments.

One of the most complex aspects was delivering a large-scale redevelopment within a live school environment. We worked closely with the school and the consultant team to develop detailed staging plans, ensuring that we minimised the number of moves for staff and students and scheduling disruptive jobs over the school holidays. The school roll grew from 500 to 730 students while we were on site, and Covid-related restrictions and material shortages also disrupted our meticulous planning; we re-worked the staging and implemented a proactive procurement strategy to mitigate delays and minimise the impact.

Our team endeavoured to become part of the community, contributing time, money and resources. Initiatives included installing a hangi pit, organising a temporary shelter for students, helping with fundraising, and running a weekly Gateway programme for students interested in trades careers. We also worked with the client to relocate a surplus building from another project to the local marae.

Our final tally was eight buildings demolished, nine prefabs removed, five buildings refurbished, eight stunning new engineered timber-framed buildings, 17,000sqm of landscaping plus site-wide infrastructure improvements, including a new energy centre and services.