b'gold standardright: The exterior of the building was repainted in Resene Double Rice Resene Cake with select details in Resene Scoria and Resene Permanent Green to Black White match the existing colour scheme along with repairs to the windows, tile roof and cast iron and copper downpipes. Lianne says Repair Care, available from Home away Resene Resene Resene ColorShops, was used on exterior windows in areas where decay and splits needed to be fixed. Exterior concrete painted in Resene X-200 weathertight membrane, exterior trims in Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen and exterior steel in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel.from home Permanent Green Double Rice Cake to differentiate each floors appearance, navigating the building wasnt exactly straightforward. In the basement, the recreation areas, study spaces and a laundry were also due for a refresh.Resene Studio Pacific Architecture (SPA) had previously prepared the A historic student accommodation gets aFoundry Resene Heritage Conservation Plan for William Weir Wing and served as the architect for the Te Whnau Wing and the rebuilding work refurbishment that reveres the past whileScoria on the Hunter Building at VUW, so when they took the lead supporting the needs of todays residents. on this project, their team was already armed with a thorough understanding of the uses and qualities of the original spaces. Their L iving away from home while attending university is a transformative rite of passage for manybrief was to sensitively modernise the accommodation to meet the newly-minted adults. For students who have only ever lived at home, taking up residencechanging gender ratios, incorporate a new heating system and fire on campus can make the transition to independence far easier to process, where supportdoors, replace three major bathrooms and two minor bathrooms from faculty members, school staff and more seasoned students is close at hand as they attemptand update the common spaces to be lighter and brighter. Of to forge their way through a trial-and-error approach to many of lifes firsts. course, it was also in need of fresh coats of paint throughout.For those studying at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), the most interesting studentWith so many aspects to be updated, the project schedule housing option is Weir House. With most of VUWs student accommodation being modern andprovedtobethebiggestchallenge.Sinceapproximately90 standard, nothing else quite compares to this three-storey, Georgian-style, heritage-listed gem.students call Weir House home during the school year, it had Built in 1930, the William Weir Wingone of two buildings that comprises Weir Housewas theto remain in undisrupted use when classes were in session. This first purpose-built student hostel at VUW and only the second to be constructed in New Zealand.required the work to be completed during the annual Christmas The school is acutely aware of the propertys unique heritage qualities and see it as the jewel in theholidays, which needed to be staged over the course of several crown of their student accommodation offerings. years with firm starting and completion dates for each phase As one would expect with a structure thats been subjected to nearly a century of wear- of construction. The first summer break in 2020/21 saw Key and-tear from young people in their formative years, the time had come for a significantCommercial complete the fire and ventilation upgrades and the refurbishment inside and out. Comprehensive exterior maintenance was required, including aFloor A bathroom. In the subsequent summer breaks, 2021/22 complete repaint to the concrete walls, timber windows and exterior steel. Internally, there wereand 2022/23, Hawkins completed the bedrooms and corridors, complex challenges to be sorted. The upper floors of the William Weir Wing, where the bedroomsthe Floor B and C bathrooms, the basement and worked on the are located, are accessed by a main formal staircase, which leads to two short corridors. Oneexterior. Last summer, the final exterior work wrapped up, with of these connects to the lengthy primary corridor. With no visual cues, few windows and littlenew cladding applied on the west wall and new windows installedlight output fit for winding down. Cheerful areas of colour were alsothat felt safe and inviting. We did this by emphasising the existing to matching the existing ones. added to each end that make the most of the light available andfeatures of the rooms, notably the beautiful built-in rimu joinery Another challenge that needed to be addressed was the longvisually draw the eye down the corridors length. which was repaired and refinished. We removed MDF panels that tunnel-like corridor. Since it only has windows at each end, theOf all the projects goals, perhaps the most important was for thewere screwed to the inside of the doors and replaced them with right: Out of the many Resene colours specified to rejuvenate the William Weir Wing, Lianne says off blacklack of sunlight made it dark and gloomy, says SPAs Principal andprivate and shared spaces to feel personal and provide a supportiveneutral pinboards which, along with pinboards on the walls, makes Resene Foundry ended up being her favourite. We used it on the cement skirtings and radiators and it ties theHeritage Architect Lianne Cox. This was addressed through cleverenvironmentforstudentswhomaybeexperiencingstress,it easy for students to personalise their space.corridors together and provides a crisp connection between the carpet and the grey of the lower wall. Its niceadaptive lighting. During the day, brighter fittings provide ampleloneliness or depression. VUW are very aware of the stresses thatDespite the previously uniform appearance across the corridors and strong, she says. Step sides painted in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel tinted to Resene Foundry, upper walls and ceiling in Resene SpaceCote Flat tinted to Resene Black White and timber panelling,daylight-style illumination. But at night, these fixtures switch offstudents can feel and the potential for self-harm, explains Lianne.and faculties, each accommodation floor within the William Weir railings and trims clear finished in Resene Qristal Clear Poly-Gloss. and traditional light fittings take over to give off a lower, warmerThe bedrooms had to be warm and personal and provide a spaceWing had always had a strong community identity. Every year, 44 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 45'