From the Resene Total Colour Awards
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Education Award Winner
Te Ara Hihiko, College of Creative Arts, Massey University

Wellington

The Design for Te Ara Hihiko at the Massey University College of Creative Arts in Wellington is the outcome of a design competition held by Massey, won by Athfield Architects Ltd, and developed in collaboration with Dunning Thornton Consultants and Arrow International. The completed building provides flexible open-plan studio teaching spaces.

Colour in the building is used on select walls in the more cellular spaces of the building - common areas, meeting rooms, bathrooms and utility areas - to provide a striking and vibrant contrast to the open plan studio and gallery areas which are characterised by natural clear finished timber in Resene Aquaclear Satin and concrete and neutral colours (Resene Black White, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Zeus and Resene Blackjack) of the gallery walls and ceilings.

The range of colours used internally (Resene Surfie Green, Resene Gimblet, Resene Aphrodisiac, Resene Wave Rider, Resene Claret and Resene Awol) are a spectrum from cooler greens and purples through to warmer reds and pinks to reflect the spectrum of creative arts courses offered by the college and complement and contrast the blues and greens used in the façade on the upper levels and the polycarbonate mesh cladding used around the external north stair. In the kitchenette, utility and bathroom areas each paint colour is paired with a complementary marmoleum and Resene Lustacryl has been specified for cleanability.

The directional signage is in orange throughout the building to stand out from the other colours used. The use of a spectrum of colour on selected internal walls, typically perpendicular to the façade, also provides a variance of appearance from the exterior, particularly at night when the building is lit up internally. Externally, painted walls are generally Resene Dawn, to provide a consistency with the exposed precast concrete walls.

Resene Black White	Resene Double Sea Fog	Resene Zeus	Resene Blackjack	Resene Surfie Green	Resene Gimblet
Resene Aphrodisiac	Resene Wave Rider	Resene Claret	Resene Awol	Resene Dawn

The finishes and colours in the building were carefully selected to provide spaces with a robust yet vibrant character that are inspiring to work and teach in without dominating the function of the building as a place of creativity and new ideas. The use of colour in specific areas also helps to subtly differentiate the various core functions of the building; studio, gallery, office and service spaces.

Architectural specifier: Athfield Architects Limited
Building contractor: Arrow International
Carved ply ceilings and corian panels: Jacob Scott
Client: Massey University Wellington
Painting contractor: Freear Philip
Photographer: Jeff Brass, Trends Publishing International
Structural engineer: Dunning Thornton Consultants
Supplier - feature textile, polycarbonate mesh: Kaynemaile
Supplier - marmoleum flooring: Forbo
Typography and wayfinding: Nick Kapica, Massey University