Large-scale reuse for new school campus

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Marian College campus overview. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College entrance elevation. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College atrium. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College chapel exterior. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College chapel interior. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College textiles classroom. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College art classroom. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College music room. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College sciences classroom. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College library. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College black box. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College gymnasium. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College indoor courts. Image: Render supplied

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Marian College courtyard. Image: Render supplied

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Having been badly hit by the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, Christchurch Catholic girls’ school Marian College had to vacate its North Parade premises and move to a temporary location in Barbadoes Street. After an almost-decade-long search for a permanent new home, the school came up with a unique solution.

A former Foodstuffs distribution centre on Lydia Street — the largest of its kind in the South Island when it was built — was acquired by the Catholic Diocese and the concept of placing the new school within the 17,000m² structure was explored.

A feasibility study conducted by consultants WSP concluded the idea was possible and the school engaged Christchurch-based practice Sheppard & Rout as project architects.

Associate director Jonathan Kennedy says the “brave concept” presented a number of challenges, including bringing enough light and a sense of the outdoors into what was essentially an internal environment and how to place two-storey classroom blocks within the existing structure and foundations with minimal disturbance.

“The roof was removed off one bay to form a walled garden, bringing light, air and greenery into the heart of the school,” explains Kennedy, “and new translucent polycarbonate roofing strips and wall cladding bring a soft, diffused natural light inside the space.”

The immense canopy shelters the school beneath from the elements, providing a protected, focused environment, and the new structures within are constructed from prefabricated timber components; this reduces the weight on new and existing foundations. Timber glulam, LVL, Potius flooring and roofing and Strandboard lining also sequester significantly more carbon than would a more standard build of concrete and steel.

“Reusing the existing warehouse makes this a highly sustainable project. It becomes a learning tool in itself for all the pupils passing through in these climate-change-conscious times,” Kennedy points out.

The school’s chapel is placed on the entrance axis, with other school facilities, including a generous, covered courtyard with broad stairs for school gatherings, wrapping around it. Covered netball courts are also incorporated: “a luxury enabled by the warehouse roof,” says Kennedy.

The campus is due to open in time for the start of the school year in 2024; Kennedy says that this unique, highly sustainable learning environment highlights what is possible with creative thinking, an open-minded client and a genuine commitment to mitigating climate change.

For more information on this and other Sheppard & Rout projects, head to their website.