These inter-related projects at Victory Primary School are the beginning of a transformation of the school’s built environment to better represent the school’s strong and unique culture. These interrelated projects at Victory Primary School are the beginning of a transformation of the school’s built environment to better represent the school’s strong and unique culture. This was an opportunity to put in place an architectural philosophy that the school can use to gradually transform the existing spaces and buildings over time.
The school’s approach to learning and community has become an example and inspiration to schools throughout New Zealand and is at the heart of the positive growth of the wider Victory community.
The number of new facilities required for school and community from a tight overall budget led to the creative re-use and re-shuffle of old unused local technical institute and school buildings and the use of other second hand materials in selected areas. This allowed the school to preserve funds for some new parts (stage 3) of the overall project. The result was the creation of the following facilities over 3 stages:
- Community Whare – using an old school prefab (existing library)
- Junior Learning Centre – a new building
- Redevelopment of the school’s main entry and streetscape
- Victory Village Learning Centre – using an unwanted NMIT prefab
- Social Services office – relocating an unused school dental clinic
- Main toilet block – by transforming an old toilet and store room
- Library and Resource Centre – using an unwanted NMIT prefab
A palette of materials, colours and vegetation was established including stained plywood, grey Colorsteel, unpainted timber poles, tuatara symbols and specific cultural patterns and colours.
