TEAM Christchurch honoured at the NZIA 2023 Canterbury Architecture Awards

TEAM Architects Christchurch has picked up the NZIA 2023 Canterbury Architecture Award in the Heritage category for their work on St Andrew's at Rangi Ruru which has undergone significant seismic strengthening while preserving important heritage. 

Originally built in 1857 by the presbyterian church, this historic landmark was first located at St Andrew’s Square next to the Christchurch Hospital before being relocated to a new home at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in 1987.

The school’s Board wanted to ensure student safety by increasing its seismic strength to an NBS rating of at least 67% and also address some deferred maintenance as part of the project. The intention was to maintain the integrity of the existing heritage elements and hide new structural elements within walls and ceilings.

St Andrew’s at Rangi Ruru has now been preserved for countless future generations of school students and staff to enjoy. The seismic strengthening work was carried out with a focus on preservation, and the care and craftsmanship shines through in the results. Along with the safety aspects, new lighting adds to the building's night-time presence in the streetscape, bringing warmth and atmosphere. The north elevation creates a wonderful street welcome, and gives the school campus (along with Te Koraha) a sense of timelessness.

The NZIA Local Architecture Awards honour the best new architecture in each of the NZIA's eight regional branches. Winners at the Local Architecture Awards level may be considered for further honours at a national level.

Congratulations to William Fulton, Kathleen McCormack and the rest of the TEAM Architects Christchurch office for this richly-deserved award.