As the doors of new schools Mission Heights Primary and Mission
Heights Junior College opened in February 2009, students
experienced New Zealand’s first green schooling environment.
Situated in Auckland, the two schools, with shared library,
administration, gymnasium and performing arts centre, will
eventually cater for over 1800 students. And a ‘fast-tracked’
timeframe meant the project was not only of a large scale, but also
required swift completion.
GHD was pivotal in bringing the concept and implementation of a
reduced ecological footprint in educational buildings to the fore.
Our team was commissioned to provide full engineering services,
including structural, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical and all
associated civil works – working closely with AS C Architects,
Hawkins Construction, the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand
Green Building Council (NZGBC).
The schools are a showpiece for GHD and, along with the
magnificent buildings and grounds, have some interesting
environmental features:
- Fourteen solar panels for water heating
- Toilets that flush with rain water
- Individually metered classrooms that report
to a central display on electricity, gas and water generation and
usage
- Intuitive and energy efficient lighting
- Computer modelled classrooms to determine
natural ventilation, window placement and shading in order to
maximise natural light, control temperature and reduce
glare
- A gas powered boiler with hot water
underfloor heating
- Construction using environmentally-friendly
materials
- Wind turbine for additional power supply and
educational purposes
- A stormwater holding system that does not
overwhelm the system in extreme weather
According to Paul Thomson, Project Manager,
“The environmentally sustainable design of this project will
provide a blueprint for green schools of the future. Mission
Heights schools opened in 2009 with not only lower operational
costs, but also a healthier and improved learning environment for
students and teachers alike.”