IMPRESSED: Martin Elms at the Our Lady of Kapiti School site.
IMPRESSED: Martin Elms at the Our Lady of Kapiti School site.
Completion of the new $6 million Our Lady of Kapiti School is getting close.
Work at the Milne Drive, Paraparaumu, site is expected to be finished in early December with the first official day of school on February 7 next year.
"The contractors are doing a fantastic job and are on schedule," said St Patrick's School principal Martin Elms who took Kapiti News on a tour of the site.
"It's going exceptionally well."
There are nine underfloor heated classrooms comprising three pods - each pod [two senior and one junior] has three classrooms which can be configured to create open and closed areas.
"You can be as traditional as you like or as totally collaborative and innovative as you like," Mr Elms said.
The pods also include extra shared spaces, breakout areas, toilets, and teacher work zones.
The junior pod, slightly different to the senior pods, also features a fenced outside area with a sandpit, stage, and sun shades [from St Patrick's School, which has been sold].
C02 monitors will keep an eye on air quality levels in the pods.
The administration area has a parent hub connected to a library, reception and archive area, staffroom, principal's office, medical room, room for computer server, work preparation room, resource/meeting room, toilets.
An extra large school hall, designed for sport and other activities, will also be used as a temporary church area on Sundays as well parish youth meetings, until a church, which is in the planning stage, is built on the school site.
SUPERSIZE: Work underway in the Our Lady of Kapiti School hall.
A stunning old stained class window from the St Patrick's Church will feature in the hall sandwiched between protective clear panels.
Carparking will be a breeze with many parks available as well as a one way system, crossing points, and drop off point; the area will also be good for children's cycle safety.
Some of the other features of the state integrated Catholic school site include an adventure playground, BMX track, all-weather astro turf, sports courts and field, raised gardens and fruit trees.
The school design, which has also had input from teaching staff and pupils, was created by Studio Pacific Architecture.
"The great thing was when I took the teachers around they saw all the things that they had put in the brief coming through," Mr Elms said.
Construction, which saw earthworks start in January, has been spearheaded by R T McGuinness.
