SECOND TEACHERS’ COLLEGE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31196, 21 October 1966, Page 16

SECOND TEACHERS’ COLLEGE

Architects’ sketch plans and a model layout for the first stage of the new Christchurch Teachers’ Training College to be built at Waimairi road were approved by the buildings committee and the other members of the Canterbury Education Board on Wednesday.

The architects’ proposals are to provide a home for secondary school trainee teachers, and the target is for the building to be completed ready for the move from the city on February 1, 1969, so that the higher intake of primary school trainees can be accommodated in the present building. The new college will be located on a 25-acre site be-

tween Waimairi road and Solway avenue, and discussions are taking place on the formation of a new road, which will run along the northern frontage of the college block to connect Waimairi road with an extension to Solway avenue.

The college will be built in three stages. Stage two will comprise the rest of the teaching facilities, for primary school trainees. Stage three will be the construction of four multi-storey residential halls. No timetable has been set for the latter two stages, but stage two is based on a fiveyear period to coincide with

the build-up in primary teacher trainees. The board, said its secre-tary-manager (Mr W. P. Spencer), hoped for early Government approval of the stage one proposals. This would allow the board to instruct the architects (Messrs Thorpe, Cutter, Pickmore and Douglas, of Auckland) to prepare working drawings and specifications.

This would take at least six months, he said. Government approval would then be sought for the detailed plans, and if everything went according to plan, tenders, which also had to be approved by the Government, could be called, and the contractors

might start in seven or eight months.

Stage one comprises an Fshaped teaching block, with a T-shaped block to its left for administration offices and a common-room. At a later stage, this will become a com-mon-room cafeteria for the whole college. At the rear of the lay-out will be a physical education building half of which will be built in stage one. A music block, and a combined woodwork, arts and crafts and science block and boiler-house will complete stage one. There will be about 70,000 square feet of floor space in these buildings. The architects have made several visits

to Christchurch, and have worked in close collaboration with the college staff. Stage two will include an administration block. an assembly hall and the primary teaching rooms. Plans for the halls of residence are tentative. and the halls shown to the left rear of the model are not necessarily what the buildings will look like. The grounds will be landscaped, and make use of an existing spring and drain to form an ornamental pool and stream. Eventually, there will be a swimming pool, tennis courts and two hockey fields. Provision has been made initially for off-street parking for 60 cars.