A signed contract with Interlink will provide more than $100 million worth of transportable classrooms over the next ten years, says associate education minister Nikki Kaye.
Interlink is a consortium made up of Portacom Building Solutions (project manager and manufacturer), Opus (architectural and engineering services) and Brewer Davidson (architectural services).
The transportable classrooms will be built in two factories, one in Auckland and the other in Christchurch.
“This contract will deliver at least 50 transportable classrooms each year to schools around New Zealand, but is designed to deliver more if required,” says Kaye.
“These are high-quality buildings that meet the same standards as permanent structures for earthquake resilience, weather-tightness and environmental sustainability. But they have the added advantages of being more adaptable and faster to deliver,” she says.
“The transportable rooms are modular, and they can be put together in a number of different ways to create anything from a single or double storey classroom to a dance and drama studio, science laboratory, library or administration area.
“Current estimates are that it will take just four to six months from when an order is confirmed to installation on-site. Previously, it could take at least eight months to complete this process,” says Kaye.
“Interlink will engage with schools to decide the most suitable site location and orientation, and discuss the colour options and fixed furnishings that best meet the school’s needs and complement its individual character.
“The Ministry of Education will be able to relocate these buildings as schools’ needs change,” she says.
“This is a cost-effective approach that allows for a building to be transferred many times between schools, rather than creating fixed permanent structures at individual schools that may not need them in the future.
“Greater use of modular buildings will help us provide modern, inspiring learning environments for our children while at the same time improving our ability to respond quickly to changing needs,” Kaye concludes.
