Burnside High School: Pukehinua Blessing

We're thrilled to be involved in the blessing of Pukehinua, the stunning new Science and Technology block at Burnside High School. The weather held off for the celebration, highlighting this fantastic milestone. 

BCN takes great pride in having contributed to the design and construction of this impressive 3600m², two-story building, which features 25 specialist learning spaces.

This project showcases the immense dedication and collaboration of our talented team. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this vision a reality!

Papanui High School: Tuke Official Opening

BCN were proud to join Papanui High School and the Ministry of Education at the official opening of “Tuke” last week, celebrating their new learning spaces for Science and Maths.

This marks an amazing achievement and the dedication of many hours from the Papanui High School staff, Ministry of Education, Project Managers, Design team and Contractors.

 Beginning the masterplan and design at the end of 2019 the project hasn’t been without its challenges, and to see the spaces now occupied and used for the purpose of benefiting all students enrolled at Papanui High School for years to come, it makes the effort well worth it.

 We look forward celebrating with the team again later this year for the opening of “Pārua” the exciting second new build for the campus.

Te Parito Kōwhai Russley School

Te Parito Kōwhai Russley School, established in 1963, is a full primary school situated in the North-West of Christchurch, New Zealand. The school accommodates between 430 and 470 students. In 2014, the school’s decile rating was adjusted from 9 to 7. The campus features extensive outdoor play areas, including large playing fields, adventure playgrounds, and two paved court areas. With the recent inclusion of the Karamu subdivision into the catchment zone, the school’s roll is projected to increase to 550 students over the next 3-5 years.

The design process addressed both current conditions and anticipated growth. Plans include the construction of three new buildings, which will add 20 learning spaces, a library, and administrative facilities. The first block, completed in late 2023, comprises four learning spaces, breakout spaces, a library, and administrative areas including a staff room, reception area, and board room. The second building, an 800m2 structure with eight learning spaces, is under construction and expected to be completed in early 2025. The final building, similar in scale and use to the second block, will commence following the completion of the current construction phase.

The masterplan organises the buildings in a three-sided courtyard with a north-facing aspect, reinforcing the connection between indoor and outdoor environments. A significant portion of the site has been elevated by 600mm-900mm to meet recently increased council floor levels. Special attention has been given to the landscaping to ensure accessibility, create outdoor learning opportunities, provide play areas, and facilitate full school gatherings.

The design brief emphasises flexibility, transparency, collaboration, and connectedness to enhance learning for all ākonga (students). Consequently, the new spaces are spacious, filled with natural light, and feature natural air ventilation and high-quality acoustics. This approach ensures that the spaces are adaptable, allowing for multi-purpose use and reconfiguration as needed.

Each teaching space is connected to adjacent wet areas, breakout spaces, and outdoor learning environments, enabling flexible learning opportunities. The integration of seamless digital tools and the strategic distribution of learning resources throughout the spaces facilitate learning anywhere, anytime, by any means.

Photo Credit: Lightforge

Russley School - Milestone for Building #2!

Students and faculty returning to Russley School today after their holiday break will be greeted with exciting progress on the construction site. Last week marked a significant milestone with the pouring of the concrete foundation for Building #2.

In a coordinated effort, 31 concrete truck loads were delivered over a span of 3 hours, commencing amidst the morning fog at 7am. The team of 18+ skilled individuals from Hawkins and their contractors ensured a smooth operation and a successful outcome.

A big thank you is owed to Hawkins, Bartlett Concrete Placing, Steel & Tube, and TC Steel Fixing for their diligent efforts. It's awesome to witness the building beginning to take shape!

Special acknowledgment goes to the Hawkins team for capturing some great shots of the days’ action.

#ministryofeducation #RussleySchool #Hawkins #BCNarchitects #BaldassoCorteseNoordanus #educationarchitecture #architecturenz #education #SchoolDesign #InnovativeLearningEnvironments

#BartlettConcretePlacing #Steel&Tube #Milestones #TeamEffort

Blessing Tuke: Papanui High Schools newest building

We were thrilled to witness the blessing of Papanui High School's new Tuke building. With 21 fresh teaching spaces, including specialist areas, it's set to enhance the learning experience for everyone at Papanui High School. There is great excitement from the staff, students, and wider community as they eagerly await the chance to dive into the new facilities.

Big shoutout to the Ministry of Education, Hawkins, and the consultant team - Aurecon, Powell Fenwick Consultants, Beca, and Rider Levett Bucknall - for making this project such a success!

 Photo Credit: Hawkins & BCN Architects

Hillmorton High School: BCN Team Site Visit

We'd like to extend our thanks to Leighs Construction Ltd for taking the time to show the BCN team around the Hillmorton High School Gymnasium project currently underway. It's truly exciting to witness the design coming to life.

 Well done to Leighs Construction Ltd and the wider project team for all your hard work and attention to detail which is ensuring this project is a success. We are looking forward to seeing Hillmorton High School making the most of this wonderful new facility!

Ashburton College: Rangitata Building Opening

We were thrilled to attended the official opening ceremony of Ashburton College’s Rangitata Building, signalling its readiness for students and faculty as they embark on the new school year.

Our collaboration with the College, Ministry of Education, and Project Partners has been both fulfilling and enjoyable. Together, we've crafted a modern learning environment featuring specialised facilities for Mathematics, Science, and the Arts, complemented by versatile General Learning spaces and break out areas.

Additionally, we're proud to have revitalized the historic Menorlue Building, providing the school with updated Music facilities.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Ashburton College, the Ministry of Education New Zealand, Hawkins Construction, Powell Fenwick Consultants, Beca, Kamo Marsh Landscape Architects, and Verve Project Management for their invaluable contributions to the success of this project.

What A Blast!

Last weekend, BCN made its debut appearance at the McLeans Island 6 Hour Blast bike event, and what a day we had!

Our team embraced the challenge, featuring 16 riders across 4 teams. A massive shout out to our incredible support crew for keeping us fuelled and cheering us on.

The event was a fantastic success, filled with laughter, a whole lot of fun, and plenty of hard-earned sweat. We couldn't have asked for a better time!

Huge thanks to Muddy Gumboot Events for organising such an outstanding event, and special thanks to Dominic Blissfield & Harry Talbot for the great action shots.

We're already counting down the days to next year's event!

Photographer Credit: Blissfield Photos (Dominic Blissett) & Harry Talbot

Same great company, fresh new look!

Same great company, fresh new look!

As a reflection of our continued commitment to innovation, growth and delivering exceptional experiences to our valued customers we recently undertook a logo redesign exercise with Friday Creative. The inspiration behind our new design is our vibrant and talented team who continually work together to provide the optimal outcome for our clients.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all who joined us at our launch evening, commemorating the official unveiling of our brand-new logo. Your presence and support made the event truly remarkable.

Thank you also to Craig and his team at Friday Creative. You made the redesign process such an enjoyable experience.

#FridayCreative #BCNarchitects #BaldassoCorteseNoordanus #nzarchitecture #educationarchitecture #architecturenz #baldassocortese

Mairehau Primary School Redevelopment wins Gold!

Congratulations to Hawkins and project partners for receiving a Gold Medal award for their outstanding work on the Mairehau Primary School redevelopment project at last weeks’ Master Builder’s Commercial Awards.

Thank you to all for the hard work and care that was put in over the last 3 years to ensure the success of the project, it has been a highly enjoyable journey.

Photographer Credit: Lightforge

Construction underway for Burnside High Schools new building

We were excited to witness the sod-turning ceremony signalling the start of the construction of Burnside High School's new building - Pukehinau!

Thanks to everyone involved in the design and development of this new facility. This building will provide an inclusive and safe space for students to learn and excel, and we couldn't be prouder to be a part of it.

Stay tuned for more updates on the construction progress, and thank you for being a part of this exciting journey!

Hillmorton High School's new facility wins Learning Environments NZ award

We are excited to share that Aonga Ake, Hillmorton High Schools’ new Middle School facility, has recently won the Learning Environments New Zealand award for New Large Facility.

Special thanks go to:

- Ann Brokenshire and the Hillmorton High School community
- Ministry of Education
- Leighs Construction for all their hard work and dedication to the project
- Dennis Radermacher from Lightforge for the amazing photos
- Learning Environments New Zealand, for all you do promoting the development of quality learning spaces.

Photo Credit: @lightforge

GRAND OPENINGS | Kaiapoi High School & Kaiapoi North School

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Kaiapoi High School unveiled one of its new 23 classroom equivalent buildings to the public on Sunday, the day before the first day of the 2018 term.

Principal, Bruce Kearney, said he was excited and nervous about the debut of the buildings. "It's a bit like Christmas and getting to unwrap our new presents. I love it and I'm sure the students will feel the same." 

Kearney said the building process had been streamlined and simple, which he credited to having an excellent architect, project manager and site manager.

"I know other schools have been involved in every aspect of construction. But right at the beginning we took the stand that it wasn't our place to pick toilets, door handles and taps, we'll leave that to the experts." 

"Teaching in the classrooms of old were factories, students in and students out. This is a shift in focus which is much more about the relationship between students and their teachers – that's what is important to us."

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Kaiapoi North School officially opened its new classroom blocks on the first day back of the 2018 term. Waimakariri District Mayor David Ayers and Waimkariri District MP Matt Doocey had the ribbon-cutting honours.

Principal, Jason Miles, said the day was a significant one in the 56 year history of the school."This is a day of old meeting the new, when the refurbished meets the rebuilt." 

Year eight student JayJay Morris said he is rapt with what the buildings bring to his school. "They are awesome, the environment of us all working together is great." 

Teacher Phil Henderson is also enjoying working in the new classroom. "It's completely different to the other classrooms, it has such a great feel, all working together. Despite what a lot of people probably think it's not noisy all. In fact they are really calm spaces." 

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All credit goes to The Press for these fantastic articles!

OUR GRAND OPENING

On the afternoon of the 23rd of November, Baldasso Cortese Noordanus held their office grand opening! With over 130 people attendees spread over several hours, the opening gave people the opportunity to see our new space and stand in the heart of the office. Our Director, William Noordanus, showed off his musical talents by playing the banjo which acted as a great icebreaker. The food and drinks accompanied by the jolly atmosphere made for a lovely night.

WE HAVE MOVED!

We are very pleased to announce that we have relocated to Level 1, 328 Durham Street North, Christchurch NZ!

You can now find us above Clarke Boyce Lawyers, with entrance and parking on Peterborough Street.

We are very excited about this new chapter and can't wait to see what comes next!

HALSWELL RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE OFFICIAL OPENING

We are very pleased to announce the completion of our project Halswell Residential College in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Lois Chick, ex-Board of Trustees Chair welcomed everyone to the opening and introduced the Honorable Nikki Kaye, Associate Minister of Education to officially open the four new Villas and Multi-Purpose Learning Building on a wet and windy day in April, however the rain did not dampen the spirit of the occasion. There was much warmth and joy at the mauri ceremony that included the return of the sod and the planting of a special tree as a symbol of the ‘life force’. The planting of the tree was undertaken by Honorable Nikki Kaye, Principal Janine Harrington and past student Scott Simons. Baldasso Cortese’s, Devkrishna Mistry ( Partner) together with William Noordanus (Director) and Tim Chaplin (Partner) from Baldasso Cortese Noordanus were joined by David Hobern and Margaret Waller from the Ministry of Education together with over 100 guests to celebrate the official opening of Stage 1 works.

‘We are very proud to have been involved in the masterplanning, design and construction of this unique facility in New Zealand. The design team undertook a very inclusive design process with the school, Board of Trustees and Ministry of Education in creating a ‘homelike’ residential environment for the students through the use of simple architectural forms and natural materials to create a safe, warm and welcoming, enhancing student behaviour and learning’ said Devkrishna Mistry 

Stage 2, including the rebuild of the parent/carers accommodation is currently under construction and will see the completion of the masterplan.

Further information and images on Halswell Residential College

20:20 VISION: THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

Peter Brown, leader of our Education sector was invited by Meinhardt Australia to speak to an audience of clients, consultants, designers, project managers and contractors as part of their initiative called 20:20 Vision. Based on the concept of PechaKucha (the Japanese word for “chit-chat”) a presentation style in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each, 20:20 Vision is a fast-paced, multiple-speaker event. Each event focuses around a Sector and Thursday 6 April launched the beginning with the topic ‘The Future of Education’ across primary, secondary & tertiary.

Peter opened the evening and presented an engaging series of slides on the future of the classroom from its traditional beginnings to the flexible, innovative and functional learning environments of today as well as how they may evolve into the future.   

The other presenters on the night included Long Nguyen (University of Melbourne), Murray Walls (RMIT), John Schout (DWP), and Mark O'Dwyer (H2O Architects). The night was a great success and we were delighted to be involved in the first of hopefully many of the 20:20 Vision events. Thank you to all the organisers from Meinhardt Australia, in particular Justin Farmer their Marketing and Business Development Manager. We are looking forward to the next event 20:20 Health and Aged Care.

For a more detailed overview on the night head to the Meinhardt Australia website.