About Campus Master Plan
The Campus Master Plan responds to the needs of all types of modern learners with repurposed and new facilities across all the Ara campuses reflecting the shift towards more flexible learning, blended learning options and integrated online delivery.
The Campus Master Plan vision was created following earthquake repair assessments and close consultation with our industry and government partners to respond to the training needs of the region.
It was further expanded to encompass the entire Canterbury region when CPIT and Aoraki Polytehcnic combined to create Ara Institute of Canterbury on 1 January 2016.
So far we have made significant progress.
At the City Campus Christchurch our $15.9m Whareora (Science and Wellbeing facility) was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key in March 2015. The new Kahukura (Engineering and Architectural Studies building) and Te Kei (the corporate services building) is also complete. Landscaping and way-finding work is progressing, while planning is underway for the new Student Hub and refurbishment work for N&S Block. C Block (the old Engineering and Architectural Studies) will eventually be demolished to make way for a new Performing Arts building.
At Woolston Campus Christchurch three new buildings have been completed and fitted out to replicate industry conditions and facilitate innovative training delivery. Another main building has been extensively refurbished with much investment into technology enhancement upgrades.
We are currently investigating the regional training needs and facilities required at our South Canterbury campuses – at Timaru, Ashburton and Oamaru – with minor upgrades already completed in Timaru's hairdressing school, library and in the student services area.
We are exploring ways of delivering an excellent experience to our students, in the learning spaces and beyond these too.
Developments at the City Campus Christchurch and our regional centres are funded by Ara, while the government contributed $18.9m to increasing training capacity at Woolston campus, Christchurch.