Situated on a highly constrained section of an existing school site, Pacific Environments worked with the Ministry of Education and Northcote Intermediate School to design a new 12-classtoom block for the school.

Functionality and community engagement were key for this project. From the earliest stages, staff and students were involved in hands-on workshops which initially inspired the design and continued as the project progressed to each new stage, with feedback from the community taken on board and used to guide our process.

Robust building materials were selected for longevity and ease of maintenance and the structure was designed to accommodate future internal layout changes. The building is naturally ventilated, with large areas of glazing providing natural light. Fixed vertical louvres provide sun control to the eastern and western aspects of the building and large openings allow for connection to the outside.

Despite challenging ground conditions and construction delays caused by Covid-19, the building was completed and occupied by students in November2023, with the design team pleased to receive positive feedback from the school and community at the opening ceremony.

The pre-cast exterior panels presented another opportunity for the school community and Iwi to contribute to the design, with the distinctive waharoa patterns by Aaron Hall, a local graphic designer.

The building follows Ministry of Education design guidelines and offers a variety of flexible learning spaces to accommodate students’ unique needs.

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