The Christchurch Boys’ High School Caddick and Caldwell buildings replace previous buildings of the same name that were damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Dedicated to former headmasters, the general and specialist science teaching facilities, with a combined area of 4,880 m², bring together multiple, distinct site elements including the Ōtākaro river, heritage Dean’s Farm buildings and the category 1 listed Main Block building.

The project team, Ministry of Education and school collectively overcame many challenges throughout the 18-month construction period including unforeseen site conditions, historical remains and COVID-19. However, the project was delivered on time allowing the school to move into their exceptional new facilities at the start of Term 1, 2021.

The vision for the project was to honour the previous headmasters to whom the buildings were dedicated, integrate the buildings fully into the campus, the surrounding heritage and history and, most importantly, provide exceptional teaching facilities for the benefit of the students.

The buildings have incorporated sustainable features including timber cladding, recycled materials, and smart lighting and ventilation.

The constrained nature of the construction site, being in the centre of a fully operational high school with more than 1,300 students, presented many challenges to school and contractor safety. These were overcome through careful site interface planning and an ongoing focus to carry out higher risk work outside of school hours, or providing clear and robust separation of work/school zones.