Heretaunga Intermediate's new technology block shared the supreme award at the 2023 National ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards. Photo / Andrew Caldwell
Heretaunga Intermediate's new technology block shared the supreme award at the 2023 National ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards. Photo / Andrew Caldwell
The designers of a Hastings school building and landscape, designed to represent the Heretaunga Plains when viewed from above, have received one of the most prestigious national awards in their field.
Heretaunga Intermediate’s technology block was one of two projects to be awarded the 2023 Supreme Architectural Designers New Zealand Resene Architectural Design Award on Friday.
Designer Darryl Church of DCA Architects of Transformation was recognised for his work on the project.
He shared the honour with Madushin Amarasekera of Construkt Architects for a multi-unit housing complex, Te Uru walk-up Terraces in Hobsonville, Auckland.
The 839sq m, $7 million technology block first opened its doors in 2022.
The ADNZ judging panel said the project was an exercise in balance, of exterior and interior colour symbolism, busyness and tranquillity and elegance and robustness in both form and materiality.
“Heretaunga Intermediate School receives the Supreme Award for being a successful architecture project to both balance critical community needs and functions, while also producing a beacon project that stands for the fun of coming together to learn,” the judges said.
“The melding of these elements into a timeless taonga for the community is what makes this project stand out as an exemplar at this time in Aotearoa’s history.”
The interior of the Heretaunga Intermediate technology block. Photo / Andrew Caldwell
Heretaunga Intermediate principal Phil Jones said the new technology block was a state-of-the-art design housing six specialist classrooms for food technology, hard materials, art, soft materials, science and music.
“[It is] an amazing area that has made such a difference to our kids’ engagement in our specialist classrooms. Such a beautiful space.”
He said the landscaping design as seen from above was a reflection of an old whakataukī (proverb), part of which conjured imagery of a hawk looking over the Heretaunga Plains.
‘Ko Heretaunga Haukunui, Ararau, Haaro te Kaahu, Takoto Noa’ translates to ‘Heretaunga - of the life-giving dew, of the hundred pathways, the vision of the far-sighted hawk, left to us, the humble servants.’ according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“There has been some quite deep thinking about embedding it into the school and where we are from,” Jones said.
He said the building had also recently won the Resene Total Colour Education Award at the 2023 Resene Total Colour Awards for its colour design which art teacher Kerri Sherrard had input to.
The technology block building also won the National Award for Commercial Architecture.
The 839sq m, $7 million technology block which opened in 2022 also won the National Award for Commercial Architecture. Photo / Andrew Caldwell
The DCA Architects of Transformation website states that their design of the building oriented it to run long to Orchard Rd, allowing passers-by to look in on four school subjects inside.
“The music room with a large garage door opens to a small amphitheatre to allow indoor-outdoor performances,” the website states.
“It was important for the landscape to be considered as extensions of the learning environment, where science, woodworking, music, art, and food could connect with outdoors.”
Keryn Davis, CEO of Architectural Designers New Zealand, said it was unprecedented for ADNZ to award two supreme winners and it was not an easy decision.
“2023 proved to be an exceptional year with two equally deserving projects capturing the eye of the judges for two very different reasons.
“From a community aspect, it is also positive to see a local intermediate school and a new home development focused on delivering affordable medium-density housing taking out supreme awards.”
