The new building at Birkenhead Primary School building in Auckland, provides twelve new teaching spaces as well as administration facilities.
The design was informed by the original school buildings emphasis on indoor / outdoor flow, so the new building wraps around a new tiered ‘Village Green’ which acts as a connector between the existing outdoor spaces in this steep and challenging site. A restrained palette of robust cladding materials grounds the building within the campus while presenting a confident façade to the community.
The building has been designed with passive sustainability in mind, the design being driven by the desire to maximise natural ventilation & light penetration. Levels of insulation above building code requirements and sun shading keep the temperature constant through the year.
77 Mokoia Road, Birkenhead, Auckland 0626
Ministry of Education
2022
2023
2023 Property Awards - Excellence in Education
The ground floor island space was designed for performance & storey telling, and tiered seating installed is mobile, so it can be moved out of the way to allow the space to be shut off from teaching spaces and used as a lunchroom during wet weather. The school has also installed drop down screens from the edge of the veranda to provide further protection from the weather which allows the veranda to function as part of the teaching space even in winter.
The Island on the upper floor is a science and art space and is equipped with cabinetry and resource storage accordingly. The ground floor is used as a story telling and performance campfire space, mobile tiered seating has been provided and incorporates withdrawal spaces below the seats and entered from the back of the units.
