Firstly, a big thank you to the Board of Trustees for sharing their expertise and generous donation of time to help get this process underway. The first official consultation evening took place on Tuesday, 17 September.

Feedback is received as a gift. A gift intended to make the process more meaningful and useful to the final decisions that will be made down the line. We got some good initial feedback via this forum both verbally and via sticky notes attached to some design photos, that had as the purpose, to stimulate thought, not to indicate a preconceived plan of action. The consultation boards (see photos attached) have been in the staffroom since the 19th and have recently been transferred to the Information Commons for students to look at, and add their views.

A further nga mihi to all whanau, students and staff who have given in their feedback either on the 17th or since then.

Please find attached photos of some of the boards and key pieces of feedback;

Some of the great ideas received include that the building needs to be as sustainable as we can make it. This is consistent across age ranges but is particularly evident in feedback from our student voice. The environmental element to the feedback is very strong. Planting and landscaping are to be an integral part of the design process. For example, any planting to attract native birdlife back to into the area.

Building to include lots of windows to reflect transparency but also to signal a welcoming open environment for our hapori.

The entryway is to include the history of the school and of our ancestors. Stories of the whenua. Links to our wider community including Te Atatu and Waitakere. This could be done with carving, whakairo. As much open space within the structure to create a sense of flow and calm. If possible, also include a water feature.

Whakairo piece to have a place of prominence at the entrance to the building/ walkway entrance to the administration space or to the kura generally. Clear desire to have an entrance that speaks of being welcome within this kura. Amongst other suggestions is retaining as much grass as can be accommodated.

Private conference spaces with glass where people can look out but not seen into. Inclusion within this space of a performing arts theatre for 120 and a school café run by students for our community.

There is a clear message for a one-stop-shop where the services that support the running of our kura are all housed together where possible in close proximity. This will make it easier for students, staff and whanau to get the help needed without having to move across multiple areas of the school.

How do we strive to get a direct connection from the indoors to the outdoor through flow and the manner in which the spaces are decorated?

The consultation process from here is as follows;

Look to develop a strategic vision of what future perfect looks like for this important whare. This would have at its core adherence to Te Aranga Maori Design Principles.

We are still at the collection phase of information although we have also moved into the collation phase of feedback received to date. We will at some point need to move into a design or creation phase and then seek further feedback on the initial designs. The first concrete goal is to have a concept design to be part of our 2021 60th jubilee celebrations and the intention to start breaking ground later that year or early 2022.