Steeped in Tradition
As a long standing client of Gemco, we have undertaken a vast and varied amount of works at Woodford House; a school with rich history and roots deeply established in Hawkes Bay.
With earthquake strengthening completed in multiple buildings, renovations and refurbishments throughout, the extension and renovation of Woodford Block, and the construction of the Dame Kate Performing Arts Centre, Gemco have certainly been kept busy. Work on buildings as historically rich as the ones found at Woodford come with their own set of challenges, challenges that Gemco have managed masterfully.
Woodford Block Extension
The Woodford Block project started with early contractor involvement from Gemco during the design and planning phase. This proved to be an invaluable aspect of the project journey, with the finished project coming in on time and under budget.
The Woodford Block project was run concurrently with the Dame Kate Performing Arts Centre new build, and during normal school operating times. This meant two work faces with limited access, classrooms in use near by, and students and staff requiring a working kitchen for meals. A temporary kitchen was constructed to allow for as little disruption to school meal times as possible while the new commercial kitchen was constructed.
The cladding and roofing materials were chosen to blend with the style of the original school building (built circa 1910), and upon viewing the finished project you wouldn’t know it wasn’t part of the original building. A testament to the skill and craft of the Gemco team and chosen subcontractors.
Dame Kate Performing Arts Centre
The Dame Kate Performing Arts Centre project also achieved status of being on time and under budget through the ECI (early contractor involvement) process.
This project required the demolition of the existing Haddington block, and construction of a new multi-level building which houses a drama and dance studio with sprung floor, a music rehearsal space, three classrooms, five music tutorial rooms, costume and prop storage, as well as the school maintenance workshop.
Acoustic sound walls were installed throughout the teaching spaces, and a C-BUS energy management system installed to allow for the effective management of heating and lighting throughout the building.
The building aesthetic is an infusion of contemporary meets heritage, allowing the building to blend seamlessly with school buildings surrounding it.
