ProjectMarian College

After a decade of searching for new premises, Marian College found an innovative solution in an unexpected location – a former Foodstuffs distribution centre. Following the 2011 Christchurch Earthquakes, the school was forced to vacate its North Parade Richmond campus and after an extensive journey settled on its new premises.

The project involved transforming a 17,500sqm warehouse site into a fully functional school for its roll of 430 students. It includes 27 full-sized classrooms to accommodate future growth, a reception and administration area, staff offices staff room, Whare, a learning centre with a library, chapel, performing arts wing, and a canteen. It also has a full-sized indoor basketball court, two netball courts, soccer pitch, a black box performance area, and a gym.

Following demolishing half of the building, the remaining 8,500sqm was repurposed to house the college’s classrooms and associated buildings, resulting in cost savings and meeting the school’s sustainability targets.

To support the school in realising its vision of establishing a permanent location, TSA Riley was engaged to deliver comprehensive project management services. Our responsibilities encompassed coordinating the design process, conducting value engineering exercises, procuring consultants, overseeing consent-related activities (such as obtaining building consent and navigating the outline plan process), managing enabling works (including the sale and removal of existing infrastructure and addressing any contaminated material), procuring the main contractor for construction, facilitating construction contract negotiations, managing the construction phase, and ensuring effective stakeholder management between neighbours, the college, and school community.