An eco-class of its own
The new multi-million dollar building under construction at Whitireia’s Porirua campus is expected to impress nursing and paramedic students when they arrive for study in February.
Work is almost complete on the new 3817sqm facility that will house the Health Faculty, administration, classrooms and conference facilities.
The building will include laboratories, state-of-the-art simulation suites and will provide training facilities to around 1000 nursing and paramedic students and faculty staff from February.
The building features interroom sliding doors, allowing for flexible teaching class sizes, open work spaces allowing flexibility for staff, learn- ing streets that will become a focal point and hub of student life and a place of interaction and self-learning.
‘‘There are a number of ecofriendly features to this building – of particular mention is the storm water collection that will be contained in a 50,000 litre underground storage tank and used for toilet flushing and garden irrigation,’’ says spokesman Kelvin Irvine.
The hot water will be solar heated and the design of the building has allowed for the concrete structure to be used as a latent heat storage facility that will assist with heating the building.
Mr Irvine says the building has a real connection to the local landscape thanks to artwork that has been completed by James Molnar.
It can be seen on many of the concrete columns and the internal windows while walking through the building.
The building was to be blessed today and will be officially opened in March.
Aiming to please: Whitireia’s new learning facility is nearing completion.