A colourful new chapter for Amesbury School

08 Jul 2025

Amesbury School in Wellington’s fast-growing suburb of Churton Park has recently entered a vibrant new phase. Designed by McKenzie Higham Architects (MHA), the original school campus opened over a decade ago and quickly gained recognition, winning the Resene Colour Maestro Award in the Education category the following year.

Now, with a rising roll and the suburb continuing to expand, the school has added a new two-storey building that extends the original design – and once again, colour plays a leading role.

The extension, completed as Phase Two of the original masterplan, builds upon MHA’s initial colour palette, tying the new building into the existing school while adding bolder applications of the school’s signature hues. “We retained the existing colour palette to unify the campus and, at the school’s suggestion, incorporated more blocks of the existing bold colour accents,” says Dipak Patel of MHA.

The exterior is painted in Resene Triple Concrete and Resene Archive Grey with accented hues in Resene Smitten and a custom Resene blue and orange.

The fuchsia pink of Resene Smitten offers a stunning contrast against the exterior in Resene Triple Concrete.

From the outside, the building strikes a confident balance between calm and energy. A trio of tonal neutrals – Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Archive Grey and Resene Titania – set a subtle foundation. “Resene Triple Concrete, a subtle silvery grey on the ground floor provides a strong contrast to the dark prefinished metal cladding of the first floor – breaking up the mass of the new two-storied building,” says Dipak.

A welcoming site for students as they enter the school with pops of vibrant hues in Resene Smitten, Resene Sassy, Resene Limerick and the custom-made orange and blue. The exterior is painted in a mix of Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Archive Grey and Resene Titania.

This muted backdrop allows the carefully chosen hero colours to pop. Echoing a bold coloured strip on the existing school hall, accents include Resene Smitten, Resene Sassy, Resene Limerick and two custom hues developed with Resene – a bright orange and blue.

These playful tones show up across the façade in functional and fun ways, from zone markers and entry points to a striking six-metre-high feature panel of stylised koru forms on the building’s eastern face.

The six-metre high koru design on the exterior is painted in a mix of Resene Smitten, Resene Sassy, Resene Limerick and two custom hues from Resene.

Inside, the same palette flows through the spaces with warmth and purpose. Walls and most door trims are painted in Resene White Pointer. Timber trims are in Resene Colorwood Whitewash and finished with Resene Aquaclear to keep the natural grain visible. MHA also used Resene FX Write-on Wall Paint over strandboard wall linings, turning everyday surfaces into creative, interactive whiteboards for students and teachers.

But the undisputed highlight of the interior is the central staircase – a generous, multi-functional ‘Social Stair’ that doubles as a meeting and learning space. Above it, acoustic tiles were arranged in a tessellated triangle design and painted in the same Resene accent colours to dramatic effect. “They serve a practical noise-reducing purpose but also reflect the energy of this area which is the lively central hub of the building,” says Dipak.

Inside, the ‘Social Stair’, a hub for students to learn and gather, is made welcoming with acoustic tiles painted in bright shades that match the exterior - Resene Smitten, Resene Sassy, Resene Limerick, Resene Triple Concrete and bright orange and blue custom hues. The main walls are painted in Resene White Pointer and ceiling in Resene Ceiling White.

Children learn and gather under a colourful umbrella. The acoustic tiles are painted in Resene Smitten, Resene Sassy, Resene Limerick, Resene Triple Concrete and two custom hues.

Other details like colour-balanced carpet tiles and joinery in punchy shades of persimmon, azure, citron and berry help amplify the building’s bright, playful tone, without being overwhelming. Even the toilet doors were colour-coded with care. “The toilet door leaf colours were carefully selected not to predicate any gender specifics,” says Dipak.

For MHA, Resene has long been a trusted partner in education design. “We’ve used Resene products in multiple school projects for over 10 years. The extensive colour range, the quality and durability of the products and the knowledgeable support of our rep Craig Ell are all contributing factors to making Resene our paint product of choice in education environments.

“The feedback from the school has been overwhelmingly positive – the Resene colours reflect the lively energy of the new learning spaces and enhance the experience of students and teachers.”

design McKenzie Higham Architects

build Holmes Construction

paint Frame Contracting

images Paul McCredie

Top tip: When specifying colours for high-traffic learning environments, balance vibrancy with durability. Using Resene’s durable low-VOC paints like Resene ClinicalCote and Resene FX Write-on Wall Paint not only adds energy to spaces but also keeps them practical, hard-wearing and easy to clean, ideal for schools and busy shared zones.

Project from the Resene Total Colour Awards.

Published: 08 Jul 2025