Athfield Architects deftly expands the school campus with this exceptional project, binding evolving pedagogies with a rich heritage.

Jury citation

“The addition of Christchurch Boys’ High School’s Caddick Caldwell Block is an exemplary educational project. It responds to the heritage context of the existing Main Block with a series of quads linking old and new. Equally, the addition stands apart from the heritage context, yet mimics existing gable forms. New materiality and colours respond to and acknowledge the existing building. The project fulfils the Ministry of Education’s requirement for modern learning environments, while providing opportunities for traditional teaching spaces that align with the school’s pedagogical requirements. The Caddick Caldwell Block is configured as a series of more traditional spaces that contribute to the school’s masterplan, supporting its future expansion.”

Athfield Architects project description 

‘A modern school with a rich past’ was the brief developed at the project’s inception and sought to resiliently bind evolving pedagogies with the school’s traditions, values, identity, community and space.

The campus features several protected structures, notably the recently restored farm buildings (1885) and esteemed neo-Gothic Main Block (1926). In revalidating the school’s masterplan, this project sought the demolition and replacement of buildings damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes.

Existing prerequisites for new buildings presented significant constraints and design parameters. Intensive consideration and consultation were required to uphold mandatory resource consenting processes of the registered Category-1 and heritage-setting listings.

Caddick Caldwell Blocks’ design responses formally reference heritage contexts through considered proportions, window fenestration, expressed colonnades and circulation. Materials and colours complement adjacent connections, while referencing the juxtaposition of Main Block’s heritage fabric. Metal seam cladding creates a sense of verticality and continues established rhythms. Conceptually, brick and concrete plinths articulate solid, robust bases reminiscent of the school’s heritage buildings. Interior finishes communicate building movement and function while balancing durability with delight.

Project team:

Trevor Watt, Zac Athfield, Tim Dewar, Mike Callaghan, Matthew Webby, Alice Broomfield, Charles Collins, Polly Dawes, Catherine Lee, Colin McKean, Laura Stevens.