StAC: Our Earthquake Story | The Arts Block Stories

Staying Strong Canterbury Earthquake, 22 February 2011 The tragic events of 22 February impacted on the College in many ways but once again, just as in September the College community rallied around. Students and their families mobilised to help friends and neighbours, to clean up and to make a positive difference wherever they could.

The grounds were subject to extensive liquefaction, which also bubbled up from underneath the floor of the theatrette, around asphalted areas and across fields.

Thanks to the quick work of Mike Johnston (Custodian) and John Anderson (Head of Middle School), a St Andrew’s student volunteer army arrived at the College soon after the quake and cleared the fields of most of the debris. Excellent work from Mike Johnston, Mike Seaward and Chris Lewis meant that, within four weeks, the fields were drained, liquefaction dug out and grass re-sown in time for the autumn growth.

As this edition of Regulus goes to print, the grounds have withstood the beginnings of the winter sports season.

The violence of February’s earthquake is evident in this crack that split the tennis court.

06 Regulus

I Leadership and Governance

Strowan House: Shaken but still strong.

Memorial Chapel: Emergency support.

Strowan House For several years, Strowan House has been the administrative hub of the College, housing the College kitchen and boarders’ dining room, the Secondary School staffroom and work areas, reception, finance centre and senior staff offices, Rector’s office and boardroom.

After the September earthquake, Strowan was damaged and needed significant repair work. At the same time this was underway, the Board decided to install a sprinkler system throughout Strowan – something that had been recognised as necessary for many years.

The Memorial Chapel The Chapel was significantly damaged in the earthquake.

The south wall has separated from the floor, there are cracks in the concrete frame and brickwork wall and main arch. The bell tower has separated from the main Chapel structure and moved towards the stream.

A remedial solution is being designed by our engineers.

The painters were putting the final touches to their work when the February quake struck and unfortunately rendered this historical building uninhabitable.

In the three-and-a-half weeks that school was not operational, spaces were found around the College to house 40 staff. Now that school is back in operation, the boarders are fed lunch and dinner from the Middle School cafeteria; the staff are using the new Foundation Sports Pavilion and the Rector is housed in a builders’ shed, located overlooking the No 1 field − the best view in the College!

Work is expected to begin soon on Strowan House to restore its functionality, however this may take some 18 months before completion.

In the meantime, our Chaplain Paul Morrow is running Chapel services in the gymnasium for Secondary School students, while the Preparatory School is able to use one of their spacious “break-out” spaces. The spirit and togetherness is still the same – it’s just the venue that is different. However, everyone does miss the beautiful tranquillity of the Chapel and its environs and is looking forward to it being in use again.

The Richard Askin Memorial Band Room The band room suffered serious damaged in the September earthquake that unfortunately was made worse by the 22 February quake and this building now needs to be demolished. Like everyone else, the band continues to operate and function in temporary facilities until a new band room and tutorial rooms are built.

Planning for this new facility is presently underway and it is hoped there will be a purpose-built space for the Pipe Band by early 2012.

Leadership and Governance

I Regulus 07

The Boarding Houses (MacGibbon, Thompson and Rutherford) The junior boys’ and girls’ boarding accommodation was extensively damaged in the February earthquake and is due to be demolished. Rutherford is uninhabitable until strengthening work is completed. This will be done by the way of sheer walls or K frames.

For the last few weeks of Term 1, the boarders were housed or billeted with friends, family or day students.

In Term 2, boarders and staff were housed in three motel complexes on Papanui Road and Bealey Avenue.

After school and until the completion of prep, the boarders are accommodated on-site in common rooms and recreational areas where they are fed, and have supervised prep before returning to their motels around 8.20pm every evening. It is testimony to student and staff resourcefulness and resilience that this arrangement is working well.

The StAC student army pitched in to help clear fields.

A brand new boarding complex is presently being planned. This complex will house up to 180 students and is being designed to quality specifications and the highest safety standards. This is an exciting, if unexpected, opportunity for the College. It is anticipated that the new boarding complex will be ready for occupation by mid-2012.

The Arts Block The three-storey Arts Block was built in 1972 with a fourth storey added in 1981. A post quake engineering investigation revealed that, although not damaged in the earthquake, the specifications for the building were such that extra strengthening work was recommended.

Hence, the classrooms and staff workspaces in the Arts Block will be out of use for Term 2 and possibly into Term 3 as this work is done and internal walls are strengthened to bring this building up to the new building code for Christchurch.

Wheelbarrows of mud were removed from fields.

St Andrew’s General Manager David Evans, Rector Christine Leighton and Chairman of the Board Garry Moore with an architect’s drawing of the proposed new boarding houses.

08 Regulus

I Leadership and Governance

There’s Nowhere Like Home For a few weeks after the February quake, many St Andrew’s students headed to schools around the country determined not to fall behind in their studies.

Regulus spoke to a few of these students about the experience and not surprisingly there was one thing they all agreed on. As much fun as the experience was, they all couldn’t wait to get back to their own school.

Which is something that also surprised Year 10 student Roberta (Bertie) Taylor who went to St Hilda’s in Dunedin for a couple of weeks. “Everyone had their own laptops to work off. I don’t know if that is a good or bad thing because they can be a distraction but it does keep all your learning in one place.” Bertie says everyone was really friendly apart from wanting to ask questions incessantly.

Year 11 student Ben Murray went to Scots College in Wellington and found it strange to be at an all boys school but did enjoy the strong affiliation the students had with their respective houses.

Bertie’s friend, Hilary Harper went to Dunedin as well and the two girls stayed with Bertie’s grandmother.

Hilary attended Columba College and found the all girl environment quite different.

“They have house meetings, games, debating and tug-ofwar which seems to create a great sense of team work and leadership.” He says it was hard initially doing two different sets of homework but that managed to sort itself out. Ben was at Scots for three weeks and found some of the teaching styles and subjects different but said the students were friendly and the staff considerate of his plight.

“I didn’t do as much there as I do here. It was difficult because I didn’t know anyone and I did tend to get some up and down looks from people and you could tell they were wondering who I was. They weren’t unfriendly but I did feel out of place a little.”

Ben Sutherland was staying in Twizel with his family after the quake so ended up attending Mt Aspiring College in Wanaka for nearly three weeks.

“It was great not wearing a uniform although I wouldn’t like to do that all the time. You have to choose something every day. Having a uniform removes that hassle.”

He says people at the school made it easy to be there because they were really friendly.

It’s a sentiment shared by Jonathan Allen who spent two and half weeks at St Kentigern College in Auckland where his cousin goes to school.

“He was the only person I knew but everyone was so friendly. They tend to hang out in groups more than here and you got to know people really well. They gave me a uniform to wear while I was there but it was a lot more casual.” The biggest difference between the two schools Jonathan says is that everyone uses laptops in their classes.

Ben Murray

Jonathan Allen

That was until she took off her blazer and then she says everyone wanted to know about the StAC cardigans.

“I’d take my blazer off and they would go ‘ahhh, I love your cardigan’.”

Sophie Gualter

The cardigans became a big hit in schools around New Zealand and even Sophie Gualter who went to Chilton St James School in Lower Hutt had all the girls asking about them. “They asked tons of questions about the earthquake, but I got the most comments about my cardigan,” she says. “I’d take my blazer off and they would go ‘Ahhh, I love your cardigan’.”

Hilary Harper

Sophie Gualter

Leadership and Governance

I Regulus 09

Update on the Repairs and Rebuilds to Campus Buildings The College has continued to make good progress with campus repairs and developments following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

Grounds Along with the new spring growth has come some lovely warm spring days and optimism about the future.

Grounds staff have ensured the fields are ready for the start of the cricket season, most of the damaged tar seal areas have been repaired and gardens are well tended.

A new row of about 40 trees have been planted along Papanui Road to provide succession for those that are now nearly 120 years old.

The Arts Block Classes are back up and running in the Arts Block following an extensive strengthening and refurbishment programme. While there was only superficial damage to this building from the earthquake, the strengthening was part of the Board’s commitment to providing the safest environment possible for staff and students. Shear walls were built to provide extra strength to existing walls. The ground floor was dug out to allow for new foundations that are now tied to the old ones. Seeing the amount of strengthening that went into the building including 238 cubic metres of concrete and 54,310 kg of steel has given everyone extra confidence in the safety of the building.

At the same time the ceilings were replaced and the fire sprinkler system upgraded. Teachers and students say they are appreciating the enhanced environment of the refurbished Arts Block.

It is hoped that a plan for the future of the Chapel will be determined in the near future.

Pipe Band Room This in the planning stages and architect Alun Wilkie has been meeting with some of the pipe band team to develop the initial plans.

Finding a solution for the Chapel remains a priority.

Strowan House The quantity surveyor is costing the final stages of an engineering solution for Strowan House. Some of the preparatory work has started with the building fenced off and the remaining chimneys demolished.

Strowan House needs extensive strengthening, levelling and refurbishment and the process is expected to take about 12 months to complete, however it is hoped that the dining room and kitchen will be back in use by the beginning of the 2012 school year. Great care will be taken to ensure that the beautiful plaster detailing which was such a feature of this gracious old building is faithfully reconstructed.

The Chapel The Chapel is a much loved building by present students and Old Collegians alike; however, repairs will undoubtedly be complicated and costly.

All factors, including safety, engineering and geotechnical information, insurances and strategic facility requirements for the College must be considered in determining the eventual solution.

The ground floor of the Arts Block was extensively excavated to allow for new foundations.

Resources and Environment

I Regulus 23

Boarding Houses The new boarding houses are in the working drawing stage and getting all the necessary consents. The programme of work is expected to begin at the end of November after exams. Detailed geotech reports indicate that some quite extensive ground improvement will need to be done in that area and a decision has been made to use stone columns to a depth of six metres under the site and extending beyond the perimeters of the new buildings with a concrete raft foundation on top. This will provide greater stability and strength to the building.

Care has been taken to ensure that the materials used in the construction of the Boarding Houses are sympathetic to the recent additions to the St Andrew’s College building landscape, particularly the new Spiro Science and Mathematics Centre and the new Preparatory School. The design of the new boarding houses will allow boarders to enjoy a combination of private and communal spaces, with spaces for quiet study and reflection and recreational areas to relax and socialise.

Rutherford House Strengthening and repairs are underway at the moment with the addition of shear walls and K-brace framing on the outside of the building. The aim is to have the building back in use for the Year 9 and Year 10 boy boarders by the start of Term 1 next year but taking into account that the programme is under pressure due to three weeks of exams in November where no work can take place. When completed Rutherford will house approximately 40 boarders in completely refurbished rooms and provide a new downstairs common room for the junior boys.

Preparatory School Final completion of the new Preparatory School has been delayed due to events of 2011. However, prep students (Years 4-8) and staff have been enjoying the benefits of this state-of-the-art learning facility since the start of this year. By the end of Term 4 the attractive, spacious courtyard will be completed complementing the state-of-the-art classrooms, break out spaces, and allweather sports turf. It is hoped there will be an official opening of the new Prep School early next year and Regulus will feature a full article on this fabulous facility.

New Gymnasium The need for a second gymnasium and sports centre is as great as ever, and plans continue to be developed.

It is hoped that work may be started on this in 2013.

The new sports centre will include a second full size gymnasium, Fitness Centre, teaching classrooms for physical education and health, office spaces for PE, sports and Outdoor Education staff and a Health and Guidance Centre. Other priorities including restoration work and the new boarding houses have necessitated the delay of the much needed facility.

24 Regulus

I

Resources and Environment

Extra steel strengthening supports the refurbished Arts Block.

Other building work A programme of work that covers all the remaining smaller projects is to be drawn up. This will include work on: • The seismic joint between the junior and senior cafeteria • The brick wall in the library • Fixing all the asphalting and curbing around the College •

Demolishing the swimming pool following advice in an engineer’s report (this is complicated because of the pool’s location on the campus). The building of a new pool is unlikely to be a future priority

• Repairs to the new Preparatory School building, which will be done in the next two term breaks.

Final engineering reports and costings are expected soon on the fitness centre and squash court to determine what action will be taken, as well as the old Preparatory School administration building that looks likely to be demolished. General Manager, David Evans, says the process with the College’s insurer was going smoothly and the working relationship continued to be very positive.