Former pupil works on WGHS expansion

Hawthorn Geddes architectural graduate and ex-Whangarei Girls' High School student, Emma Hawkins, with plans for the school's new classroom block. Photo / John Stone

Former Whangarei Girls' High School student Emma Hawkins' career came full circle after she returned to her alma mata to design 13 new classrooms.

Mrs Hawkins, 27, graduated from WGHS in 2005 and moved to Wellington where she achieved a Masters of Architecture with distinction from Victoria University.

Following summer work experience at Whangarei firm Hawthorn Geddes, Mrs Hawkins accepted a position at the firm and has since worked on projects such as Kmart and the new Toyota dealership.

Having knowledge of how the school works and of staff, many of whom were her former teachers, had helped, she said.

"It's nice to be able to give back to the school," Mrs Hawkins said.

Over the summer holidays a group of three PE and Health classroom will be built by the tennis courts, ready for the 2015 school year.

A new two-storey, 10-classroom block is to be built on the corner of Manse St and Lupton Ave and is due for completion in 2016.

Two prefab buildings are to be located to a different part of the school to make way for the new block. However, once the block is completed these will be removed.

Mrs Hawkins spoke to students at the WGHS assembly last Friday and gave them some guidance as they looked towards the future.

"My piece of advice for you when you're looking at what you're to do with your life is find something you enjoy and you're passionate about," Mrs Hawkins said.

WGHS principal Anne Cooper said it was "so special" to have Mrs Hawkins working on the new classrooms. The two met when Mrs Cooper first interviewed Mrs Hawkins to enrol at the school over a decade ago.

The school needed six new classrooms to accommodate roll growth, Mrs Cooper said. The others are an opportunity to build new classrooms with "modern learning environments", she said.

However, the school was not looking to expand any further because it had a small campus for a school of that size, Mrs Cooper said. "We want to keep it at a level where we know we can deliver a good-quality education".

Modern learning environments are less structured than traditional classrooms. They include break out spaces for group work, large sliding doors between classes and a variety of seating options.