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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 14. June 13 1977

Report commissioned

Report commissioned

In June 1974, an Auckland firm of Architects, Engineers, Planners and Quantity Surveyors hired by the University, prepared a report stating conclusions emerging from their studies of Hunter.

Apart from advocating a reduction in occupancy, the report stated some estimated costs of upgrading.

"Even with an expenditure... approaching $1,000,000 the building, which has a floor area of some 55,000 sq. feet, would have a useful life limited to about 10 years. The upgraded building would still be below the standards [unclear: equired] for new buildings in respect of structural capacity, egress and fire protection and there would still be high risks of collapse in a severe earthquake... Strengthening of the building to meet new design codes now in course of preparation will be difficult and disruptive and... it appears to us that it is likely to be achieved only at a cost greater than providing a comparable floor area in new buildings..."

The report further states that general maintenance would be required on the fabric and/or services of the building, and the egress provisions and fire protection would have to be brought up to a standard complying more closely with current requirements. Steel and stone windows might be necessary in some areas as might timber replacement, maintenance work on the brick and stone fabric and possibly on the roof structure and sheathing — all for a cost estimated in 1974 to be between $300,000 and $500,000.

"Minimum upgrading work necessary to keep the building in service for a 10 year period would cost about $1,000,000.... after 10 years, unless damaged sooner by an earthquake, a replacement would still have to be found". So state the University's consultants. Revamping Hunter not a very viable alternative to say the least.

Well, what do the students say?