Chanel College's science labs are undergoing a more than $500,000 facelift, ahead of a renewed fundraising drive to build a $1.8 million gymnasium at the school.
College principal Grant Miles said builders had demolished the interior of three labs ready for a complete refurbishment from scratch that would include a reconfiguration of the spaces and the building of a new resource room.
The upgrading of the labs had been put on hold in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake in 2011 and adjoining corridors also will undergo quake strengthening.
The work is expected to be completed in September.
Other changes on the school wishlist include an all-weather outdoor sports surface and a revamp of the administration block, although the construction of the gymnasium will precede the smaller projects.