Students nailing it!
One year into Building Academy and Hastings Boys' High is building homes and futures
After nearly a year of hard work, the Hastings Boys’ High School Building Academy has almost completed its social housing build. There was a bit of “red tape” to cut through at the start of the programme to get the concrete slab, containers and container shelter in place — the boys wanted to start building at the beginning of Term Two, but ended up starting the build in Term Three.
The Building Academy consists of a group of 13 students in their final year of high school who, for the year, have been working alongside their tutor, Trent Bray.
Trent is a qualified builder with many years’ experience building transportable houses.
Building Academy co-ordinator and HBHS head of technology, Salla Delport, said Bray “brings a unique skill set to the course and runs the Building Academy as a work site where students are expected to be part of a team”.
Delport explained the industry support for HBHS Building Academy has been phenomenal.
When asked who helped the school, Delport said, “There are too many companies to mention that have reached out to support us.”
The support from local trades is helping the build run along without too many issues.
Delport said once the physical building started, things happened very quickly.
“Our students became very capable over time, and the speed and efficiency they worked at made all the difference.
“We are ahead of schedule, and Trent is very impressed with the progress to date,” he said.
From the programme, the HBHS students have learned a lot, are very competent and have developed many of the skills involved with constructing a house.
“Seeing the students develop in terms of their ability and confidence has been one of the best parts,” said Delport.
Things that seemed daunting at the beginning of the year have now become second nature to the students.
The Building Academy has three to four weeks to install the windows, exterior cladding, insulation and Gib before the students finish this year.
Next year, the interior of the house will be completed, and once the Gib is in place Bray will start arranging with the plasterer, kitchen installer and painting team to schedule work before school starts again early next year.
The finishing touches on the inside of the house will take three to four weeks to complete in 2023.
Kāinga Ora has an agreement to purchase the house from Hastings Boys’ High when it is complete, when the house will be used for public housing on a site in Willowpark Road, central Hastings.
Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities programme director Nick Seymour explained HBHS had been “superbly proactive” in setting up the new Building Academy at the school.
Seymour said the drive and determination of the HBHS head of technology teacher to ensure this opportunity was available for students is what has made the difference.
“The fact that in one school year they have managed to get the academy set up - and to complete the building of an entire three-bedroom house - is to be commended and is no small feat,” Seymour said.
Next year, there will be room for more Hastings Boys’ students to be a part of the Building Academy, as Kāinga Ora is asking the school to build two more homes.
“The partnership was a great example of the school and government working together to benefit the students and the Hastings community,” Seymour said.
Schools working with Kāinga Ora are giving people a place to call home while creating future opportunities for our young people.
Students will graduate from the Building Academy ready for the workforce, understanding health and safety requirements, knowing how to use the tools and what is required to work as part of a team, and will be valuable assets to their employers from day one.
“Tradespeople are needed to tackle the urgent programme to house the many whānau without a warm, dry home, and it is a win-win for all involved,” Seymour said.