The Wintec Engineering and Trades Training Facility, located at the heart of the Rotokauri Campus, is a 5000 square metre total learning environment that caters for approximately 750 students across the vocational fields of Construction, Plumbing, Electrical, Automotive and Mechanical along with Electrical, Civil, Mechanical Engineering and Architectural Technology.

The facility provides a mix of formal studios, social breakout areas and practical learning workshops, allowing students to mix theoretical learning with hands-on application. A key aspect of the project has been the design and construction of a facility that acts as a tool for learning and a showcase for engineering and construction skill. This has informed the bold expression of the structural systems and the attention paid to exposed services throughout the interior.

Both the design process and the future operation of the facility were underpinned by a new learning model developed by Wintec in conjunction with industry and the project team. This learning framework describes an integrated and dynamic process in which students actively discuss, engage, present and are 'hands-on' with their learning... a strong departure from a traditional chalk and talk lecturing style. The design of the facility has been inspired and informed by this new learning pedagogy, creating a vibrant, flexible and total learning environment for students and staff.

The future key principle of the brief and driver for the project was to create spaces that would be flexible and adaptable to change. To address this brief all spaces were continually re-assessed throughout the design process for 'loose fit long life' principles. This approach allows the areas to be easily reconfigured, re-wired and re-purposed, supporting the long-term sustainability of the building as a modern lifelong learning environment.

The colour palette includes black, bold yellow, red and blue and neutral warm white and greys. The use of black (Resene Uracryl 402 in Resene Black and Resene Uracryl 802) on all exposed steelwork was selected so the structure would become an active part of the learning process, highlighting these key functional and aesthetic building elements. Primary yellow, red and blue tones (Resene custom colours) were selected to make reference to Wintec branding and identity; the placement of these colours in the building was used to create a bold and dynamic learning environment while also acting to signal and highlight key wayfinding elements such as stairs/lifts etc. In contrast to the bold primary tones, a neutral palette of warm white (Resene Bianca) and greys (Resene Double Stack (armour grey) and Resene Quarter Stack (pale mortar grey)) was then selected to provide a calm and clean backdrop for general areas.

The same greys feature on the exterior with Resene X-200 weathertight membrane in Resene Double Stack on exterior block, Resene Lustacryl in Resene Double Stack on FC cladding and Resene Quarter Stack on FC soffits, with a custom created yellow and blue in Resene Summit Roof on exterior shipping containers. Like the interior, the exterior steel is Resene Uracryl 402 in Resene Black.

As a modern learning environment the new Wintec Engineering and Trades Training Facility aimed to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for a diverse student group, one that offered variety and choice in terms of the types of spaces it provided for formal and informal learning, breakout and social activity.

The use of colour played a significant role in achieving this aim, in animating and articulating the variety of spaces and environments within the new building and in helping provide a sense of place for its occupants.

Acoustics: Marshall Day
Architectural specifier: Chow:Hill
Building contractor: Fletcher Construction
Building services: Innerscape
Client: Wintec
Cost management: Jewkes Boyd
Data/security: Greet Consulting
Design and project management: Greenstone Group
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2015
From the Resene News – issue 3/2016