Hagley Community College
Category
Location
Christchurch, New Zealand
CV
$22M
Client
Ministry of Education
Team
Ian Maclean
Nikki Thebault
Renmark Ragasajo
Kurtis Fleming
Photographer
Andy Spain
Located on Hagley Avenue in Christchurch, Hagley Community College operates in a cyclic learning environment, where the rolls operate from early morning to late evening classes. At any one time, a total not exceeding 900 pupils are on the campus, however, the school's maximum capacity is 1521 full-time students.
Hagley is a school with a 164-year-old history, which makes it nearly as old as Christchurch itself (Established in 1858). The school was to offer a broad curriculum, allowing students across Christchurch City to access a relevant education around their individual needs. Fittingly, these words are as relevant now as they were 164 years ago, with two purpose-built hubs - specifically designed for students with diverse needs, interests and learning styles.
The two new buildings on the campus reflect the major pedagogical shift in the school, developing the two hub buildings where specialist subjects are joined together for project-based inquiry.
A performing arts hub (Block Y, Auripo) features dance, drama and performance, with a new theatre facility. The school anticipates using this building to host community conferences and creative productions and allows the thespians of Hagley to create a home with a full-size auditorium in the heart of the building. This building is also home to the Ko Taku Reo satellite unit, which shares some of the spaces with Hagley. Ko Tahu Reo had a desire to be well integrated with the school community and is situated alongside the outdoor student quad area.
The visual and creative arts hub (Block Z, Wainuku) includes hard technology, art, soft materials technology, food technology, and computer sciences, all under one roof. Specialist technologies such as carpentry, jewellery making, soldering, software coding and fashion design are all on offer in this space, offering alternative education pathways into apprenticeships; while also hosting a comprehensive outfit for community night classes for adult students. The students who best learn with a project-based, hands-on approach can grow and hone technical skills in this diverse hub.
