Education project

Halswell Residential College

Client:
Ministry of Education
Location:
Christchurch New Zealand
Delivered:
2017

Halswell Residential College is a specialist residential school providing education and boarding for up to 32 Year 6–10 students, creating a facility unlike any other in New Zealand. Engaged by the Ministry of Education, Baldasso Cortese Noordanus developed a masterplan that strengthens the College’s unique role while creating a more supportive and appropriately scaled living environment.

The existing residential villas no longer reflected the needs of the College, prompting a shift toward smaller, more personal accommodation. The new scheme introduces four villas arranged around a shared courtyard, with outdoor play areas available beyond school hours. Each villa houses eight students, reducing institutional scale and encouraging a sense of belonging and routine. Straightforward architectural forms and natural materials help create a warm, domestic character. A multi-purpose learning building marks the campus arrival point, serving as both a teaching space and a venue for school and community gatherings. The masterplan also includes remediation of existing learning buildings and the redevelopment of parent and caregiver accommodation.

Developed through a collaborative process with the school and Board of Trustees, the project reflects the College’s commitment to care and inclusion. The villas and multi-purpose learning building are now complete, with parent and caregiver accommodation in progress. Together, these works provide a cohesive campus that supports residential life and education in equal measure, offering students a stable and thoughtfully designed place to learn and live.