Marian College Redevelopment

Region Canterbury

Project Type New Construction

Client The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch

The Marian College Redevelopment transformed a former 17,000m² warehouse into a contemporary learning environment, creating a modern educational facility designed to support the school's long-term vision. The project included extensive structural strengthening, partial demolition, six new classroom blocks and a dedicated Chapel, delivered within an existing industrial structure.

Following an extensive value engineering phase, Armitage Williams worked collaboratively with the client, consultants and project team to successfully adapt the building for educational use while managing complex remediation works, including the safe removal of asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint. Constructed using sustainable timber elements, the redevelopment achieved Green Star certification, reflecting a shared commitment to environmentally responsible construction and delivering an inspiring, future-focused learning environment.

I actually think this is one of your flagship education projects. It's much more than a school build—it demonstrates adaptive reuse, structural strengthening, sustainability, remediation and collaboration. I'd definitely feature it prominently in the Education portfolio alongside one or two school refurbishment projects to show both new-build capability and expertise in live school environments.