Lyall Bay School Renovation

In August 2022, Built Construction Group started a renovation project at Lyall Bay School for the Ministry of Education. The purpose is to improve the school’s functionality, and provide a school building that’s structurally safe, watertight, and free from mould and bacteria, extending its life. Thermal insulation will be improved too, keeping the kids warm through winter.

The school opened in February 1909, originally as Maranui School. With around 400 pupils today, it’s one of the largest contributing primary schools (Years 1 to 6) in Wellington.

The project involves:

• Installing an under-floor waterproof membrane
• Cutting and pitching a new roof to link [the two main buildings] together, encasing a new structural steel portal.
• Installing new sub-floor timbers and micro-piling (60 MPs) throughout
• Building new decks and installing concrete slabs underneath
• Reconfiguring drainage to improve water dispersing away from the building
• Replacing rotten timbers
• Re-cladding what was a leaky school building
• Insulating the building
• Installing new aluminium joinery with double-glazed windows
• Creating wheelchair access
• Installing galvanised steel handrails throughout
• Building new toilets
• Installing new concrete retainers to reinforce existing walls.

The site set-up needed to provide extra safety measures since the school is in operation during the renovation. All works must be carried out within the perimeter fencing, and there are children using the playground and moving between classrooms.

There are six builders working on the renovation. The subcontractors assisting include:

• A demolition team
• Roofers
• Steel engineers for the new structural steel portal
• Staircase specialists
• Concrete specialists
• Flooring contractors
• Geotech micro-piling specialists
• A timber specialist
• Aluminium window joiners
• Plumbers
• Electricians and a data specialist
• Painters and plasterers
• A steel fabricator for the handrails.

The discovery of extensive rot that needs remedying has pushed out the completion date considerably. The project management group has been understanding, particularly given our clear and timely communication.

We are in regular contact with the architect and timber specialist, providing photos to give a clear picture of what we find as the project progresses. This streamlines processes, helping those specialists make accurate assessments of the condition of the building.

We’ve received very good feedback from the school and parents so far, and we expect to complete the project by September 2023.