Flood-prone courtyard set for student-powered makeover

A flood-prone courtyard at One Tree Hill College - muddy in winter, scorching in summer, and often forcing students into cramped concrete corners - is about to be transformed through an innovative design project involving University of Auckland Design Programme students and the school’s Trade Academy.

The site, located outside the school’s Tawa and Hinau whānau buildings, are busy hubs for sports, play and increasingly, kapa haka practice, but their condition makes them difficult to use year-round.

A raised vegetable planter, which supplies kai for food technology classes, rongoā (traditional Māori medicine), and the wider school community, is one of the few features the school is determined to keep.

Now, University design students will reimagine the space, and Trade Academy students will build the final designs to create a new space that meets their needs.

The collaboration is led by Xin Cheng, a professional teaching fellow in the Design Programme, and Charlotte McKeon, head of the Trade Academy and alumna of the University’s School of Architecture and Planning.

Cheng says the first class visit in late March was about understanding the existing space from the students who use it every day.

"We wanted to hear directly from them - what works, what doesn’t, and what they imagine this courtyard could be. It’s an example of designing for and making with local communities, and a chance for our students to apply their skills to a real-world context."

Trade Academy students identified several key needs: rain and sun cover, robust structures that can withstand climbing and jumping, and better waste management, as lunch-time rubbish often overflows.

McKeon says the project also reflects a tuakana-teina model of learning.

"Our students are highly engaged, hands-on learners. Working alongside University students provides our students with an opportunity to experience a collaborative project beyond the traditional school setting. Our Trade students are familiar with following plans, however, they have never given feedback to designers in relation to building and construction.

"It is a wonderful opportunity for learning for everyone. We have our Māori teacher and our licensed builder on board, so the students are supported at every stage, from concept to construction."

Designs will incorporate cultural knowledge linked to the site’s whānau names. In Māori tradition, Hinau rejected Mahuika’s fire and is not used for fire-making or carving, while Tawa is associated with provision and fertility, known for its berries beloved by kererū.

These associations, along with Hinau’s white flowers and Tawa’s olive-like berries, may inform motifs or planting. The school’s whānau colours - red for Tawa and purple for Hinau - could also support wayfinding.

In May, Design Programme students will return to present their initial concepts, and in June, Trade Academy students will select the final designs to build and implement the selected designs before the end of the school year.