Designed by Jasmax and awarded the 2020 NZIA Auckland Architecture Award for Education, the project delivers an innovative campus centered around the Ken Havill Learning Centre.
The redevelopment of Western Springs College – Ngā Puna O Waiōrea stands as New Zealand’s largest public school rebuild, setting a new benchmark for modern educational environments.
Background
Initially called Seddon High School until 1968, Western Springs College – Ngā Puna O Waiōrea underwent a complete redevelopment to address older facilities and create a campus that supported modern teaching and learning practices. The previous infrastructure struggled to accommodate a growing student population, along with a shift toward flexible, collaborative learning environments.
By 2013, 85% of the original buildings of the school required demolition due to subsidence caused by the site’s historic landfill. This led to New Zealand’s largest-ever public school rebuild, completed in 2019, creating a modern, vertical campus designed for flexible learning.
Challenge
The open-plan design introduced significant acoustic challenges, as large numbers of students sharing expansive spaces can create high noise levels.
Ensuring optimal sound quality was critical to maintaining a productive learning environment.
Additionally, the project required durable, sustainable, and aesthetically consistent solutions across multiple spaces, including the atrium and gym areas, while meeting strict environmental standards.
Acoustic experts, WSP Opus were involved with the acoustic considerations, as these were a key design concern with the open plan learning spaces, and large levels of students in one space.
Solution
Ceiling panels can play a large role in treating the acoustics, with three various panels selected for sound optimisation of specific spaces and how they are used by students.
Potter Interior Systems supplied a range of innovative products to meet these needs.
This included 50 Unity mobile whiteboards in vibrant colors to support flexible learning, and three types of AMF Thermatex ceiling panels—Acoustic, Alpha HD35, and Thermofon—for targeted sound optimization.
These panels were installed throughout the campus, including high atrium spaces, and integrated seamlessly within Rondo Donn suspended grids.
All AMF products carry the Declare label, are Red List free, and maintain GreenTag’s GreenRate Level A certification, ensuring non-toxic, sustainable materials that contribute to Green Star® rating compliance.
