Mana College rebuild

We completed two stages of works at Porirua’s Mana College. The first was a four-month demolition and enabling works phase, removing two 1950s era blocks. We started demolition during the summer holidays, progressively identifying issues with asbestos, services and ground conditions and working collaboratively to resolve them. We re-sequenced the programme and site setup to enable ground improvement to commence while the asbestos removal was completed, streamlining the demolition with two five-tonne excavators.

With the old blocks safely cleared away, we returned a few months later to build a new single-storey block with 14 specialist technology and science teaching spaces (Te Urukahika) and a special needs wing (Te Whare Ako). The building has a ring beam and pad foundation with a rib-raft heated slab, a structural steel frame and a prefabricated warm wall and warm roof envelope.

Close collaboration between the client, consultants, our engineers and BIM team and key members of the supply chain led to a great result for the internal wall system. We provided solutions to achieve the required design standard, which we federated into the BIM model, allowing the shop drawings to include all service penetrations and connections to the primary structure. Offsite manufacturing enabled the team on site to start constructing the head details to take the walls, keeping the programme on track.

We partnered with local iwi Ngāti Toa for a several community events during the two-year build, invited the school’s Gateway students for site visits and assisted them with Site Safe courses, and attended local iwi, school and council procurement and careers events.

We handed the long-awaited new block over in May 2025.