Te Raekura Redcliffs School

Te Raekura Redcliffs School is an exciting new primary school located on the edge of Te Ihutai / Christchurch estuary and adjacent to Te-Ana-o-Hineraki / Moa Bone Point Cave. The landscape design responds to the site context with clear physical and visual connections between cave and coast. The design provides an activated landscape for play and learning, and the multi-layered landscape creates diverse and unexpected playscapes and opportunities to engage with the site. The spatial arrangement creates at its centre a sheltered heart to protect and nurture occupants from the cold north-easterly wind.
Separate sports and play spaces have been developed for the Junior and Senior School including natural play areas, school edible gardens and outdoor performance spaces. Custom play elements include a suspended net with cave like run-through underneath, colourful cubby holes for quieter play, and using slides and a fireman’s pole to allow kids to transition the different levels in a playful way. Landscape materials and plant selections reflect the character of the coastal environment.