NEW CENTRAL SCHOOL

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1930, Page 16

NEW CENTRAL SCHOOL

PLANS FOR REBUILDING. STRUCTURE TO BE IN BRICK. Reports were received at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board from the architect and the New Plymouth members of the board regarding the fire at the Central School, and the arrangements were made for carrying on the work of the school. Two rooms for temporary accommodation had been provided in the gymnasium, one at the Technical College, and another in the board room, the school being able to reassemble on the following Thursday. The departmental architect had authorised the dismantling of four rooms and the tower, and that had been done. The members also reported having held an inquiry into the cause of the fire. They were of the opinion that the fire originated through a defect in the structure of the chimney in rooms D and F; that a sin. x 2in. wooden stud carrying the wall in room F was separated by only one brick width from the fire in room E; that this stud had gradually smouldered and become ignited on July 25; that no indication of danger had.ever been conveyed to the caretaker or committee; the back of the fireplace had the appearance- of being in good condition. They feared that it was possible a similar condition might obtain in respect to the other old chimneys. The architect reported that he had prepared plans for a complete new school and had forwarded them to the department, application also being made for a grant to cover the cost. The proposal was to construct two groups of rooms, four rooms in each, facing Lemon and Gover Streets, in brick, with facings picked out in burnt chipped clinker brickwork, the Lemon Street frontage to have a main central entrance. Provision had been made for a headmaster’s room, female assistants’ room and a common room foe, the male assistants. Separate cloakrooms were provided in each group without corridors. -

He had embodied the fre .h-air type with drop sashes and southern lighting in the 60 degrees roof angles. The whole idea was on the fresh-air type, and in conjunction with a brick building would make it a new feature in school construction. Suspended verandahs were provided for access on both sides, and each classroom would have two doors. The dormer principle of the high windows on the road frontage would be another feature. In respect to the orientation, very few realised the great rang© of that type of construction. With the ordinary standard type of school building a certain fixed position must be observed to obtain the proper amount of sunlight. The internal group of rooms, three in number, were to be constructed in wood only.

Members expressed the opinion that the design would be a pleasing one. It was expected that the application for the grant would be before Cabinet at any time.