03 Magazine: April 05, 2024

Feature | Magazine 45
How have the students responded to their new school?
The students have responded positively to the new
school environment, and we understand have settled
in quickly, finding their favourite spots and enjoying the
sense of community it fosters, being under one large
canopy roof.
Also appreciated is the strong sustainability story it
demonstrates with the adaptive reuse of an existing
structure and the use of timber throughout, a learning
tool in itself.
But perhaps the most appreciated place is the chapel,
a serene spiritual place that is the essence and heart of
what Marian College as a Catholic girls’ school is about.
What are you most pleased with/some favourite details?
We’re most pleased with the sustainability outcomes of
this project.
Our favourite details would have to include the chapel
ceiling with its representation of the heavens above, in
the star pattern that occurred on the day Marian College
was founded.
Also, all the additional learning spaces and
opportunities that have occurred due to the school
being within the warehouse have been a real benefit. In
particular, the central atrium, a courtyard gathering space,
has really proved its worth, being used for multiple large
group activities and events.
Anything else people might be interested /surprised
to learn?
One of the most gratifying aspects of the project was
that it was an economic new build. Due to being inside,
the buildings didn’t need weather protection, roofs,
gutter or exterior grade cladding, meaning the new
buildings were constructed at a significantly lower cost
per square metre than other standard school buildings,
yet the facilities provided were well above those offered
in other schools.
Marian College will be open to the public on Saturday May 4, 10am–2pm (last entry at 1.30pm)
– one of 50 buildings open for exploration during Open Christchurch, May 3–5, 2024. openchch.nz