Headmaster Wayne Brown in front of the administration building (left) that was completed in early 2019. Photo / Bevan Conley
Headmaster Wayne Brown in front of the administration building (left) that was completed in early 2019. Photo / Bevan Conley
Two Whanganui Collegiate School buildings and the Whanganui War Memorial Centre have been shortlisted for the New Zealand Architecture Awards.
Forty-five projects from around New Zealand have been shortlisted in the peer-reviewed programme run by Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA).
The awards jury, led by Auckland architect Michael Thomson, includes fellow architects Lynda Simmons, Fiona Short and Anthony Hoete.
Thomson said it was heartening that buildings from all eight of the NZIA's nationwide branches feature in the awards shortlist list.
"As you'd expect, there are multiple shortlisted projects from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, but the jury will also be going to see buildings in Whangārei, Gisborne, Tauranga, Hastings, Whanganui, Nelson, Tekapō and Queenstown."
Brown said it was important to link in the strong history of the school with the new state of the art facility.
"What we wanted to do, because it's a brand new building, was to draw in some of those key components and bring back some of the historical elements of the past."
The HG Carver Memorial Library, a heritage listed building, went through a series of changes so a stripped-back heritage project could take place.
Seismic strengthening has been done without adversely affecting the building.
The historic features on the outside remain, but the inside has been brought into the 21st century.
The wooden roof form in the inside is original, with various upgrades to the light and air conditioning systems.
"Not one beam, not one slat has been changed since it was originally built," Brown said.
"For our students it's quite an inspiration. It's high level and they are getting the best out of an exceptional facility."
The Whanganui War Memorial Centre was shortlisted in the heritage category after a substantial strengthening process that started in 2017.
Strengthening work on the War Memorial Centre was completed in January 2019. Photo / Bevan Conley
BSM Architects director Gerald Cogan and his team were brought in by the Whanganui District Council to co-ordinate the designs for the strengthening of the building.
"We liaised with the engineers on solutions that would fit with the architecture of the building, it's a Heritage 1 building, a very significant building for New Zealand architecture.
"One of the best examples of a modernist building in the southern hemisphere, it's up there. So any strengthening work done had to be sympathetic and marry in with that architecture so we didn't lose the essence of the building and it retains its character."
Cogan said it was a very challenging task.
"If you take a traditional timber building, you can hide a lot of stuff in the timber walls.
"Obviously there is nowhere to hide with this because it's block work construction."
Cogan said to be nationally recognised is very special.
"To be one of 45 shortlisted from around the country is certainly a huge honour.
"For our practice it's the first time that I can recall that we have had an building shortlisted for a national award, so for us it's significant. We are quite chuffed."
Winners of the 2020 New Zealand Architecture Awards will be announced on November 4.
