Vision Dio is a strategy for the future development of Waikato’s Diocesan School for Girls, created to accommodate the school’s increasing role and curriculum needs. Under this initiative, Chow:Hill was engaged to create a directional campus plan, providing a framework for current and projected facilities, uniting the different elements of the school and providing a welcoming ‘front door’ and a ‘heart’ to the school.

The plan needed to respect key features of this long-established campus, just as the new buildings had to complement the existing palette of materials and colours.

The final document details a total of 30 projects, for implementation in a number of stages, including an upgrade of the school’s roading and services infrastructure.

Chow:Hill was commissioned as principal consultant, architect, interior designer and overall project leader for stage one, a two-year undertaking with a value of $7.3 million.

This included an extension to the boarding house and a new specialist teaching building incorporating science, art, technology and graphics facilities. It also involved the refurbishment of school landmark Cherrington House, the original boarding house, which now accommodates administration facilities and the staffroom, and has become the entrance to the school.

Planning for stage two and the redevelopment of the chapel has already commenced.

For more information on this Chow:Hill project,
Email: richard@chowhill.co.nz