Murupara Area School

DCA partnered with MOAA Architects to deliver this project. The commission involved 80% new building and 20% redevelopment of existing structures. Extensive research with the stakeholders led to a 21^st century model of learning. The school is laid out with three learning commons connected by a common axis. The school is unique in that it caters for pre-school through to year 13 all on one site. The cultural values of the region are woven into the design with aspects aligning with the local “Maunga” (mountain) and the layout of the school taking on the analogy of the journey of the “Tuna” (eel). Use of timbers on the interior reflects the forestry heritage of the region with its location deep within the largest man-made forestry plantation in the southern hemisphere.