Otago Girls’ High School principal Bridget Davidson said the overall project was triggered by support modifications necessary to ensure the school was accessible to all students which, in turn, led to many fire compliance modifications being required.
‘‘With many government school projects being cancelled, we are very grateful ours has gone ahead,’’ she said.
The construction work at Otago Girls’ includes:
• The first stage, which was completed in the July school holidays, was the construction of a collapsible stage lift in the school’s hall, which enabled wheelchair access to its stage.
• The school’s science block, housed in the Siedeberg Building, is having three of its six laboratories modernised, a three-storey lift installed and 12 new toilets built.
• Replicas have been made of the school’s historic oak doors that automatically open with a button to make them more wheelchair accessible.
• Work is also being done on the Dalrymple Building, a category-1 historic building, including replacing the entire historic Marseille tiled roof and installing a new sprinkler system and fire exits to meet the latest fire compliance regulations.
• The staffroom is being extended to include a breakfast bar, bench and oven.
• The administration block is being rebuilt with a new principal’s office, new senior leadership, counsellors, accountant, IT and executive assistant offices, a meeting room and a new sick bay.
Contractors had been dealing with rearranged hours and noise restrictions for the month of the NCEA exams.
Noisier works will recommence in December and the work is expected to be completed by July.
