One Campus Two Schools - Avonside Girls High School and Shirley Boys High School

An earthquake induced social experiment, the likes of which New Zealand has not seen before. The 2011 quakes significantly damaged Avonside Girls High School, Shirley Boys High School, and the QEII Leisure Park.

The solution, several years down the track, was to rehouse all three on the considerable grounds of QEII. The suburb of Avonside was mostly red-zoned and Shirley has changed shape considerably, but both institutions were intent on keeping their names and brought them with them to the new location.

The benefits, besides immediate access to the new QEII complex, are obvious and enormous.
Shared facilities include:

• A Performing Arts Centre with a 750-seat theatre and a second smaller 200-seat theatre,
• Four full-sized sportsfields with a 400-metre running track
• Three full-sized indoor Gymnasiums – two of which can be joined to host events.
• A Café and fully-equipped commercial teaching kitchen

The contractors were the ShapEd consortium, led by Morrison and Co, and involving Southbase construction.

NZPlaces would appreciate original images of this campus.