Wakatipu High School board of trustees property committee
chairman Wayne Foley stands at the construction site of the
school's new drama and music building, which is estimated
to be worth at least $1.8 million. Photo by Joe Dodgshun.
Construction has started on Wakatipu High School's new
drama and music building which will double learning space for
the subjects and include a basement wired for a recording
studio.
WHS board of trustees property committee chairman Wayne Foley
said the new block would cost more than 80% of the $2.25
million of construction and improvement taking place at the
school this year.
Expected to be completed by the end of November, the block
will be built off the side of the school's Robertson Block.
It will offer 249sq m of basement-level space and 457sq m of
ground-floor room.
The basement will include four practice rooms, band and
seminar rooms, and a costume and props room, and will be
"acoustically rated" and wired for a recording studio.
Upstairs, there will be two music rooms, two drama rooms, two
"green room" changing areas in the middle with a stage at
either end, and an additional loft learning space created
between the new building and Robertson Block.
"Those will represent more than doubling of learning areas
for music and drama," Mr Foley said.
"Also, there will be big sliders so they will be able to open
up the doors on to the courtyard to have concerts here."
He wanted to acknowledge the "fantastic contribution" teacher
Alison Price had on music and drama in the school and was
happy at the opportunities the development would create.
"We know how talented our local school kids are in music and
drama and to be able to provide them with these facilities is
great."
The school's new canteen was completed two weeks ago, and the
previous canteen in the school hall has been demolished to
make way for two new classrooms, alongside refurbishment of
the existing changing rooms by the end of August.
"Originally there was a 10-year development plan by Opus for
the school and we are following the initial part of that ...
Once we have this project under way we will do a review of
what other building works we would like to undertake in
2012." These would probably include a new library, he said.
The new canteen, with its 28sq m of covered queueing area,
would open up opportunities to cater for community
activities, he said.
The construction is being carried out by Amalgamated Building
Ltd, with funding coming from budgets agreed on between the
school's board of trustees and the Ministry of Education.
Diggers are expected to arrive today to undertake the first
earthworks on the block.
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