The Journey
In 2021, Rubix began their journey with Aquinas College and the Diocese. The aim was to improve the overall wellness for students in the existing spaces with consideration to the school’s ambition to grow their student roll. Through the early phases, Rubix embarked on establishing three priorities for development with collaboration between the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton and the Aquinas College Board. Priority one of the redevelopments was to refurbish the existing Administration Block with a key focus on improving the wellness areas, adding new learning support spaces, and providing a modern reception area to greet visitors.
Success through prioritization
The success of the Administration Block Refurbishment has hinged on our ability to define the priority areas and develop a staged redevelopment approach at the school that meets their current needs without hindering future growth.
Early collaboration with the school identified that the key focus areas could be incorporated into half the existing Administration Block where space was found to be underutilized. The refurbishment of the Admin Block was split into two stages, with Stage one being completed in September 2023 and Stage two to be completed in the future. The Diocese initial investment was able to be reduced and capital reallocated to higher priority objectives which includes, air quality upgrades in the existing classrooms blocks which was completed in the same year and the next stage development for new teaching spaces for the school to grow their roll. This staged prioritization approach has also allowed the school to maintain use of the existing spaces in the Administration Block with little impact to the schools’ operations.
Points of interest
- The Administration Block Stage 1 commenced in April 2023 and was handed back to the school in September 2023 under budget
- A wellness privacy loop was incorporated in the design so that students would enter and exit through a separate one-way corridor off a main circulation route
- Two new Learning Support Spaces have been added into the block by utilizing inefficient spaces
