The design team faced a series of complex challenges in redeveloping Wairarapa College’s campus. Bringing the Whare Āwhina | Supported Learning Centre to the front of the school required careful integration of inclusive spaces that would be both welcoming and visible, reinforcing the school’s commitment to diversity and accessibility.
The creation of new facilities to meet 21st-century educational needs involved designing flexible, future-focused environments that foster collaboration and real-world learning, whilst seamlessly connecting with the school’s historic fabric. Meanwhile restoring the century-old Sutherland Building demanded a sensitive approach to heritage preservation, earthquake strengthening, and modernising services, all while maintaining its iconic character.
Whare Āwhina provides a calm, dignified and adaptable environment where students with high support needs can learn at their own pace. The building is organised around a mix of shared learning areas, quiet retreat spaces, and breakout rooms, enabling both social interaction and focused individual learning. Careful consideration has been given to scale, daylight, acoustics, and colour to create spaces that feel safe, legible, and welcoming.
Located prominently at the front of the campus, Whare Āwhina reinforces Wairarapa College’s commitment to inclusion and equity. Its visibility within the school grounds signals the importance of supported learning as an integral part of the wider school community, rather than a separate or hidden function.
The new Tahu Hospitality Food Technology Hub is a purpose‑built Level 3 teaching facility designed to foster contemporary learning and real‑world skills. The building includes a fully equipped commercial kitchen, specialist food technology classrooms, flexible teaching spaces, and staff and student amenities, enabling a wide range of hospitality and food‑related learning activities.
Positioned alongside the historic Sutherland Block, the Hub forms one wide of a planted internal courtyard that draws natural light deep into both buildings and supports passive ventilation. Large openings and warm timber finishes strengthen the connection between indoor and outdoor environments, while the centrally located canteen acts as a social and functional heart for the campus. A restrained palette of dark metal cladding sits confidently against the heritage brickwork, creating a clear yet respectful architectural contrast.
One of the school’s most significant heritage buildings, the Sutherland Block has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment to ensure its long‑term future. Earthquake strengthening, improved accessibility, and the integration of modern building services have transformed the interior into safe, flexible, and inspiring learning spaces suitable for contemporary teaching practices.
The building’s iconic façade and heritage features have been carefully restored, retaining its strong presence within the campus. New glazed links now connect the Sutherland Block to adjacent facilities, improving circulation and accessibility while creating visual connections between old and new. Together, these interventions weave the school’s history, present‑day learning, and future aspirations into a coherent and connected campus environment.
