Impressive Development for Victoria

Dr Culliford, the spokesman for the University planning committee, outlined for Salient a most impressive scheme for the future development of Victoria University.

Foremost in the planning is the £1,500,000 major extension to the Botany and Zoology Departments.

"This new building will re-house all undergraduate teaching facilities, extend substantially the research facilities available to staff, post-graduate students and visitors; and provide better receipt, storage, and distribution of teaching and research material and other goods delivered to the departments concerned," he said.

The Kirk Building is to be retained, and the planning of the new building is such that the floor levels of the two buildings have been related as closely as possible in order to minimise the obstruction offered by the new building to the continued use of Kirk.

The form of the building has two distinct parts. The lower is L-shaped and follows the limits of site formation at each level and its roof is designed as a terrace, out of which rises the upper section in a simple rectangular form, structurally symmetrical. Designed on these simple lines the new building will blend in with the other university buildings and will be a great asset to the departments concerned.

Recently the architects held their first meeting on the second project undergoing preliminary planning, which is the proposed £2,500,000 Physics and Earth Science building. This is estimated to be about 2½ times the size of Easterfield.

From data published in a 1962 report, architects have investigated the possibilities of meeting the needs of the university in 10-20 years' time.

After intensive planning, the idea is to build a tightly-knit core of academic buildings, and to provide facilities for administration, maintenance, sports, car-parks, and student amenities around this central core.

An area of five acres, adjacent to and including Weir House is reserved for Halls of Residence, and a further five acres has been reserved for this purpose in the Adams Terrace area.

Wai-te-ata Road is the site for further student amenity expansion and the more space consuming car parks and sports fields are to be located on the other side of Aro Street.

Access to these amenities will be an internal road running along the steep bank along the side of the Boyd-Wilson field, under Fairlie Terrace to join Adams Terrace. A total of about 115 acres has been set aside for university development, and properties will be bought up as they become available.

This planning, along with further academic buildings is intended to cater for about 10,000 students and to provide Halls of Residence for over 1700 students.