Restoring performance and value within a live school environment
Rubix led the delivery of a comprehensive renewal and remediation programme at Sommerville Intermediate School in Auckland on behalf of the Ministry of Education. Completed in 2026, the programme involved extensive upgrades to the school's main teaching facilities, restoring long-term building performance while maintaining uninterrupted school operations.
Scope and Project Leadership
The project involved remediation of the school's main teaching block, comprising 24 classrooms and a range of specialist and shared-use facilities, including the library, hall, performing arts centre, administration spaces, and specialist learning areas.
Works included weathertightness remediation, structural steel remediation, recladding, roof replacement, new gutters, and replacement of window and door joinery. The programme was designed to address building envelope deficiencies, improve durability and thermal performance, and extend the life of the school's existing facilities.
Rubix provided project leadership throughout design and delivery, coordinating stakeholders, programme, procurement, risk management, Engineer to the Contract services, and contract administration to support successful project outcomes.
Challenges and Delivery Approach
Delivering the works within a fully operational school environment presented significant logistical and programme challenges. With no decanting provision available, construction activities had to be carefully planned around approximately 959 students and 63 staff while maintaining day-to-day teaching and learning.
The remediation was delivered through a seven-stage programme aligned with school holiday periods and operational requirements. Early intrusive investigations were undertaken ahead of each stage, enabling risks to be identified, design refinements completed, and consenting requirements progressed before construction commenced.
Strong collaboration across the project team enabled complex remediation challenges and unexpected site conditions to be resolved efficiently. A dedicated over-roof access route and carefully planned hoarding strategy minimised interaction between construction activities and the school community.
Outcomes and Long-Term Performance
The completed works have significantly improved the durability, thermal performance, and functionality of the school's facilities. Upgrades to the building envelope, glazing, roofing, and structural elements have extended the life of the buildings while enhancing occupant comfort and reducing future maintenance requirements.
Delivered three weeks ahead of programme and under budget, the project has restored long-term performance and value across a key educational asset for the Ministry of Education and school community.
Points of Interest
- Seven-stage remediation programme delivered within a fully operational intermediate school with no decanting provision.
- Delivered three weeks ahead of programme and under budget, a significant achievement for a remediation project of this scale and complexity.
- Significant improvements to thermal performance and occupant comfort, with classroom temperatures that previously sat at approximately 11°C in cooler months now reaching 18°C without heating.
