AUT building on its success

By ANNE GIBSON

Auckland University of Technology's deputy vice-chancellor, Derek McCormack, is these days more akin to a property developer than an academic administrator.

He is in charge of the $245 million revamp at AUT's Wellesley St and Akoranga campuses, a project which began in 1996 and which should be finished by 2005.

McCormack claims AUT is the fastest-growing university in the country, citing a 10 per cent annual student growth rate.

Aside from the game plan for the future, the existing 24,000 AUT students need library, lecture and study space. Many students from overseas want a bed, too.

So AUT has signed up $160 million-worth of construction on its two campus sites, where four large new buildings are either under construction or about to be built.

The aim is to refocus the campuses, upgrade the standard of study and accommodation areas and address AUT's problem of geographic fragmentation.

Most of the focus is on the central city site, even though new buildings at the Akoranga campus have grabbed the limelight after winning architectural plaudits.

Using a masterplan developed by Jasmax, AUT is aiming to make the best of its sloping 2.9ha city site. AUT owns about $200 million-worth of property on its two campus sites. But rising student numbers have forced it off its city campus and into B-grade and C-grade office buildings in surrounding streets.

This has been a bonus for building owners, delighting in low vacancy rates for low-quality fringe city building stock.

But it is not AUT's ultimate aim.

McCormack admits many of these properties often lack in air conditioning, lifts and services. Some are not even weathertight.

"At present, AUT's facilities are spread over a number of locations, which has created a somewhat fragmented campus, with many programmes based in leased central city buildings that were designed as offices, rather with the needs of a university in mind," McCormack said.

So AUT has formed an alliance with Kerry Hitchcock and Mark O'Connell's Charta Developments on two large buildings which Charta will build, then lease back to AUT.

Charta owns the land and will take on the costs and development risk, but build to AUT's specifications. In turn, AUT will sign a long-term lease to Charta, with rights of renewal, giving the developer an assured income flow.

First up, Charta is developing Unicentre, a 14-level student accommodation block next to the campus in St Paul St. Fletcher Construction is at groundwork stage on this site, where up to 400 students will live in 105 apartments by the end of next year. AUT will lease the building for 21 years, according to Unicentre's website.

The next Charta building AUT will lease is for its faculty of business and will be a 10-level, $35 million development in two blocks. Construction is due to start in October and finish mid-2005. The building will cater for up to 3000 students.

Around the same time this is being built, AUT will become a developer. It will begin another 10-level, $35 million block on its city campus, this time for the faculty of arts building for 2000 students. Charta is not involved in this deal.

The St Paul St studio - a seven-level $22 million building for the School of Art and Design - is due to be finished next year. Seminar rooms, a workshop, design studios, exhibition space and offices for the fashion, visual arts and spatial design programmes will replace the old cramped WF, WM and WG buildings used for the programmes.

Jasmax designed the new studio, which Fletcher Construction is building.

The growth in student numbers at the AUT's Akoranga, North Shore, campus is outstripping those in the city. The 15.1ha Akoranga campus has around 3500 students, about 3000 of them specialising in nursing, physiotherapy, podiatry, psychotherapy and public health.

A $6 million library is planned for this site, a $4 million physiotherapy school is being built, extensions are planned for the cafeteria and student lounge areas and additional office and research space will be built.

McCormack said the expansion was based on a need to cater for the growth in student numbers.

"There is an expanding demand for the type of university programmes offered at AUT, based on a fundamental integration of theory and practice. This demand is reflected in the steady growth of enrolments and as a result, we are making a significant capital investment."

The number of equivalent full-time students at the two campus sites had grown by nearly a third during the past three years, he said.

"Added to student growth demands are those associated with major increases in research activity, including the establishment of nine research institutes."

The Wellesley campus revamp aims to reduce incidental pedestrian traffic around Mayoral Dr, Wellesley and Lorne Sts by bringing AUT's central Auckland activities together into one campus. It will also improve campus aesthetics and enhance the academic and cultural character of the city, particularly in the precinct comprising AUT, Senior College, University of Auckland, art galleries, the public library and student halls of residence.

"The project is a large development for the tertiary education sector and Auckland," McCormack said. "It will promote the work of several of AUT's schools and programmes, transform the style and shape of the Wellesley campus and enhance the Akoranga campus."

Timetable

October 2002 to early 2004: Demolish building on the corner of Symonds and Mount Sts and construct stage one of student apartments.

December 2002 to January 2003: WF, WG and WM buildings in St Paul St demolished.

January to December 2003: St Paul St studio under construction.

March to April 2004: WJ and WK buildings demolished.

November 2003 to January 2004: Building on the corner of Wakefield St and Mayoral Drive demolished.

February 2004 to June 2005: Business building under construction.

Early 2004: Stage one of student apartments ready for occupation.

April 2004 to June 2005: Arts building under construction.

February 2004: St Paul St studio in use.

June 2005: Arts building in use.

Mid to late 2004: Stage two of student apartments ready for use.

July 2005: Business building in use.


AUT building project

Charta Real Property Investment

Auckland Unicentre