Auckland school ins New Zealand Architecture Medal

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Auckland school for children with disabilities wins New Zealand Architecture Medal

The Wilson School in Takapuna has been named the inaugural winner of the New Zealand Architecture Medal, the country’s highest architecture accolade for a building.

The New Zealand Architecture Medal is presented by the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), and only one medal is awarded each year.

Designed by Opus Architecture, the school supports children with a wide range of special needs, and was hailed by judges as “uplifting”.

The school is part of the Wilson Home Trust complex, which leases the site to the Ministry of Education. The Wilson Chapel, by architects Haughey& Fox and Partners, is also on the grounds and was named the winner of the national Enduring Architecture Award for a building whose design has stood the test of time.

Gerald Parsonson, of Parsonson Architects, convenor of the awards jury, said: “It is an incredibly thoughtful building that is very uplifting for the staff and children. It is set in park-like grounds and relates to its environment beautifully, bringing light into the building and allowing views to the outside.

“It uses is a soft palette of materials that gives it a calm almost Scandinavian feel. There is a great sense of comfort and professionalism and it is a building where you feel very safe and at ease.”

The school has around 60 pupils and has been designed to ensure access for those with physical disabilities. It is spacious with wide corridors and has special storage areas for pupils’ equipment.

“It is New Zealand’s first purpose built special needs building and the architects have demonstrated an unwavering focus on the well being of the pupils and the staff. A wonderful spirit of collaboration between client and architect has produced an extraordinary building where the children get a great deal of benefit from being in such a nurturing environment.”

The Wilson school looks out on the chapel, which received the Enduring Architecture Award.

“It is a humble and simple building. There is a really interesting juxtaposition of geometric forms that create a real variance of experience as you walk around and through the building,” said Mr Parsonson.

Built in 1965 in the wooded grounds of the Wilson Home for children with disabilities, it remains a popular venue for weddings.

The New Zealand Architecture Awards, supported by Resene, were established by the NZIA to celebrate the innovation, creativity and excellence of projects nationwide.

The programme has three tiers, progressing from local regional awards to the New Zealand Architecture Awards and through to the ultimate accolade, the New Zealand Architecture Medal.

Judges evaluated entries against criteria including the relationship of a building to its site and context, design quality, building form, structure and spatial qualities. User satisfaction and environmental aspects were also taken into account.

The main consideration for the judges in assessing projects is how well a project resolves key design issues and then builds on this solution to “contribute to the advancement of architecture”.

The Wilson School at Takapuna by Opus Architecture was previously among winners in Public Architecture in the New Zealand Architecture Awards and was also a winner in the Regional Awards for Auckland.

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