This year we welcomed back old boy Nicolas Sharp as a teacher of DVC.

As well as teaching, Nick has continued studying towards a Masters of Architecture. Next year will be his final year and he will be undertaking a thesis on backcountry hut architecture.

Nick has shared with us his project he completed for his Bachelor of Architecture. This was submitted to the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards where he was named as a finalist.

https://bestawards.co.nz/spatial/student-academic-spatial/otago-polytechnic-te-pukenga/matakitaki/

The Mātakitaki project aimed to redesign the school lodge for the future of outdoor education in the valley. The name Mātakitaki comes from the correct spelling of the more commonly known Matukituki Valley, where the project aims to replace the aging outdoor education lodge in the Valley with a modern, sustainable facility. The new lodge would be strategically located on the southern side of the Mātakitaki River, beneath the Southern Alps, providing safer and warmer accommodations for students throughout all four seasons. The project also draws inspiration from local Māori history, emphasizing the concept of movement through the landscape. Collaboratively designed with the students, steel screens have been incorporated to serve as guides, leading students through the site. The design includes seven sleeping shelters named after geographical features, communal spaces, and a strong emphasis on student involvement in the construction process, fostering skill development and a lasting outdoor education legacy for the school within the Mātakitaki Valley.

As a warm thank you for the opportunity to return to Otago Boys' this year, I have gifted the school a 1:40000 scale model of the Mātakitaki Valley which was used as part of the exhibition of this design project. The model was very accurately cut out by a CNC router, allowing anyone who gets to view it to remember certain geological features of the site which many of us have been lucky enough to explore.