Offsite manufactured buildings for new spaces at schools

Learn about the process when you are to receive or need to procure an OMB, and the following maintenance requirements and conditions of keeping a building on your school site.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Inform

  • Boards
  • Principals and tumuaki

Transcript (English and Te Reo Māori)

Offsite manufactured buildings at Mangatawhiri School

Ariah, student. My favourite thing about this classroom is that we can play with the horses and it’s so much fun.

Harry, Student. We have good maths.

Maia, Student. There’s lots of space to do the dancing.

Harry, Student. And it's so big.

Sharron Scouse, Principal. Welcome to Mangatawhiri school, located 10K south of the Bombay Hills. We’re a school that's grown from 52 students to our current numbers of 200. In 2018, our school roll really exploded and it was at a point we were using our school library as a classroom. So we began the conversation with the Ministry then around, you know, what was needed for our school. The design team were very open to input from us in terms of adding a toilet block and then in terms of the colours, that was all down to us in terms of the staff, you know, making choices about what they would like to see inside the classroom. Once that process started in terms of building the foundations, it was a really quick process. Got the phone call to say the classrooms were arriving Thursday overnight, we'd leave school and see the piles in the ground and we’d arrive at school tomorrow and we'd see the classroom. And that's what happened. It was incredible. When you see this classroom ticking, it's really joyous actually to come in and just see the opportunity for people to spread, to move, to create. In a single cell, traditional classroom you would bring out, you'd let the kids play and interact with and then it would need to be packed away because you don't have the space. There’s greater opportunities for children to make some decisions about their learning. So in terms of what their interests are or what they fancy doing that day or who they would like to work with that day, there's lots of choice available in the classroom.

Lorelle Dodds, Teacher. Having a modern learning environment like this means that we can come together as two classes so we collaboratively plan and teach the mat times together. But it also means that we can move apart and group our children accordingly and teach to different strengths and learning needs as well. So we've got the space to do that.

Cheryl McKinstry, Teacher. You may see a group of children playing in the middle, having lots of conversations, negotiation, imagination just runs wild. We also utilise the deck a lot. We've got Play-Doh, we've got paint, the water play. Out on the court we do a lot of chalk drawing, we do a lot of ball skills. It's really nice having that indoor outdoor flow where we can utilise the outdoors and the indoors very creatively and very easily as well.

Sharron Scouse, Principal. This space, and especially for our young learners who are new to school, I think it's, what a way to start school. Our parent community have been impressed, not only with how it looks and how it sits, but just how happy their kids are. How their kids are keen to be at school and to be in the classroom. That’s heart-warming.

Te Reo Māori transcript:

Ngā whare kua hangaia ki waho atu i te kura o Mangatāwhiri

Ariah, Ākonga. Te mea tino pai ki ahau i tēnei akomanga ka taea e mātou te tākaro me ngā hōiho, he tino pārekareka.

Harry, Ākonga. He pai ā mātou pāngarau.

Maia, Ākonga. He nui te wāhi mō te kanikani.

Harry, Ākonga. He tino nui.

Sharron Scouse, Tumuaki. Nau mai ki te kura o Mangatāwhiri, tōna 10 km ki te tonga i Puketutu. Kua piki ake te tokomaha o ngā tauira i te 52 ki te 200 i tēnei wā. I te tau 2018, i tino piki mārire te tokomaha o ngā tauira, ā, ka huri mātou ki te whakariro i te whare pukapuka hei akomanga. Nō reira, ka tīmata mātou ki te kōrero ki te Tāhuu mō ngā mea e hiahiatia ana mō te kura. I whakarongo te kapa hoahoa ki ō mātou whakaaro mō te tāpiri i te whare paku, mō te taha ki ngā tae, i waiho mātou ngā kaimahi ki te whakatau, waihoki te whakatau mō ngā āhuatanga i hiahia ai rātou te kite i te akomanga. Ina tīmata te tukanga mō te whakatū tūāpapa, he tukanga hohoro tonu tērā. I tae mai te karere ka tae mai ngā akomanga hei te Pōpare, ā, i wehe atu mātou i te kura, ā, i kitea e mātou ngā poutoka, ao ake te rā ka hoki mātou ki te kura, ā, ka kitea he akomanga. I pērā rawa te whakatūnga. He mīharo. Ina kite koe i tēnei akomanga, ka pā te harikoa ki te ngākau i te kite atu i ngā tāngata e hora atu ana, e nekeneke ana, e auaha ana. I ngā akomanga o mua, ka whakangita taonga koe, ka tākaro ngā tamariki, ka pāhekoheko hoki ki ngā taonga, ā, ka meinga koe kia whakahokia atu ngā taonga nō te mea kāore he wāhi. He maha noa atu ngā āheinga mō ngā tamariki ki te kōwhiri pēhea ai rātou e ako. Nō reira, he ahakoa ngā aronga, ngā pūkenga e hiahia ana rātou ki te mahi, ki te whakapakari i taua rā, he nui tonu ngā kōwhiringa ka wātea ki te akomanga mā rātou.

Lorelle Dodds, Kaiako. Nā te whai i tētahi wāhi onāianei pēnei i tēnei, ka taea e mātou ngā akoranga e rua te whakakotahi ki te whakamaherehere tahi me te whakaako tahi anō hoki ina nohonoho mātou ki te whāriki. Me te aha anō, ka taea hoki e mātou te wehewehe me te whakarōpū anō hoki i ā mātou tamariki ki te whakaako ki ngā kahanga rerekē, me ngā matea ako anō hoki. Nō reira, he wāhi tō mātou hei whakatutuki i tērā.

Cheryl McKinstry, Kaiako. Ka kite pea koe i ngā tamariki e tākaro ana i te pokapū, e kōrerorero ana, e whiriwhiri ana, ka rere noa te wairua auaha. He putuputu tonu tā mātou whakamahi i te papatakahi. He Play-Doh, he peita tā mātou, kā tākaro hoki mātou me ngā wai. I runga i te papatākaro he nui tā mātou tuhi ki te tioka, ka kaha whakangungu mātou i ngā pūkenga pōro. He tino rawe ka ngāwari te haere ki roto, ki waho hoki, e auaha ai tā mātou whakamahi i ngā wāhi kei roto i te whare me ngā wāhi kei waho.

Sharron Scouse, Tumuaki. Tēnei wāhi, mō ā tātou ākonga ka tauhōu ki te kura, ka whakaaro ake ahau, kātahi te tīmata pai ki te kura ko tēnei . Kua mīharo ngā mātua, ki tōna āhua, ki tōna tūnga, me te koa anō hoki o ngā tamariki. Arā, ki te hīkaka o ngā tamariki ki te haere mai ki te kura me te uru ki te akomanga. Hei koanga ngākau tērā.

 

Watch this video translated into New Zealand Sign Language here.(external link)
Boards considering an OMB will find key information in this guidance that details the procurement, upkeep, and conditions they must follow. 

Transcripts (Te Reo Māori and English)

Te Reo Māori transcript:

Ngā whare kua hangaia ki waho atu i Wairau Valley Special School

Kaiako. He aha koe e tino pai nei ki tēnei akomanga?

Joshua, Ākonga. He pai au ki te tunu kai.

Kaiako. Āta koia, he pai koe ki te tunu kai ki roto i tērā taiwhanga?

Joshua, Ākonga. Āe.

Hamish, Ākonga. He pai ake tēnei taiwhanga ki ahau. He tino nui te wāhi.

Natalie Todd, Tumuaki. Kei Tāmaki Makaurau tō mātou kura, a, Wairau Valley Special School. Ko ō mātou uara ko ARU, arā, te whai, te manakohanga, te whakaute, me te māramatanga. I te tau 2020, i mōhio mātou me maha ake ngā whare nō te mea he iti noa ngā akomanga e wātea ana. Ā, ka whakapā mai te Tāhuhu ki a mātou, ā, i āta whakamārama ki a mātou ka pēhea te whakatinanatanga. He tukanga tērā i tino mahi ngātahi mātou me rātou. I kōrero mātou ka pēhea te āhua o te whare, he aha ngā mea e hiahiatia ana e mātou kia tau ai ki ō mātou matea, kātahi ka whakaaturia e mātou ngā mahere ki ngā kaiako e kite ai rātou i ngā akomanga ka whakawhiwhi ki a rātou. Ā, nō te mea i oti kē ngā mahi ki waho atu i te kura, he iti noa nei ngā tauwhatinga. Ko te mea tino pai ki a ahau i rite ai ngā wā i whakaritea. Ko te nuinga o ngā ākonga i tēnei akoranga he takiwātanga tō rātou. Ka tino pāngia tō rātou mānukanuka e te hoihoi, nō reira, ka pāngia anō hoki ā rātou akoranga. Nō reira, he wāhanga tēnei e tū wehe atu ana i ērā atu wāhanga o te kura, engari, he māmā tonu te āhei atu mā raro waewae. Ka taea e ngā ākonga te mahi me tō rātou kotahi ki ngā taupuni mahi, he nui te wāhi kia pērā rātou. Ā, i te tuarongo kei reira te wāhi e mahi ana rātou i te hangarau, kāore tērā wāhi e tū ana i te pokapū o te akomanga. Mō ngā tamariki kei a rātou te takiwātanga, he mea whakahirahira ki a rātou kia tino mārama te tautuhia  o ngā wāhi kia mōhio ai rātou me haere rātou ki hea, ā, he aha te take o ia wāhi. Kua heke iho ngā rīpoata maiki, he tohu tērā ki ahau kua tino hāneanea ki a rātou tō rātou wāhi, ā, he tino nui taioreore tērā ki a mātou.

Carel Broekman, Kaiako. He nui noa atu te akomanga. Kua tau, kua āio hoki rātou, ā, he nui ake hoki te wāhi kei a rātou. He pai rātou ki ngā tae me te nui hoki o te mārama e uru mai ana. He wāhi motuhake, ātaahua anō hoki tō rātou hei kīhini. He tino pai rātou ki te uru ki tērā wāhi me te tunu kai ki reira, me te kai anō hoki i ā rātou kai ki reira. He wāhi motuhake tērā, kāore te nuinga o ngā akomanga tawhito e whai wāhi pērā. He wahangū ake, ā, ka māoriori ake ki a rātou ki te puta atu me te whakatā me tō rātou kotahi. Mā rātou anō ā rātou whanonga e whakahaere. Ko tētahi ākonga kei te matamata o whakaaro, he pukukōrero ia, engari, he nahenahe anō hoki ia i ngā tāngata. Nō tō mātou hūnukutanga ki tēnei rūmā, kua haepapa ake ia. Arā, kua riro māna anō hei whakatuwhera, hei kati hoki i te kūwaha ki te akomanga, me te tiaki hoki i ngā kī. E mōhio ana ia ki tōna tūranga i te akomanga, ā, he ātaahua tāna kawe i a ia anō i roto i āna mahi ārahi.

Natalie Todd, Tumuaki. Mō ērā e kaha ana ki te kōrero mai, ka kī mai rātou he pai rātou ki tō rātou akomanga hōu. Mō ētahi atu, ka kitea e mātou mā roto i ā rātou whanonga. Ki te tika tā mātou poipoi i a rātou ināianei, ka tika rātou haere ake te wā. Ā kāti, e whakapakari pūkenga ana mātou, pērā i te whakahaere i a rātou anō, kia taea e mātou te kawe i a rātou ki te hapori whānui me te whakawhānui ake anō hoki i ō rātou ao.

English transcript:

Offsite manufactured buildings at Wairau Valley Special School

Teacher. Why do you like this classroom so much?

Joshua, Student. I like cooking.

Teacher. Yeah, and you like it in that room when we do it there?

Joshua, Student. Yeah.

Hamish, Student. I like this room better. There’s lots of space.

Natalie Todd, Principal. Our school is Wairau Valley Special School in Auckland. Our values are ARU to follow, so acceptance, respect and understanding. In 2020, we realised that we needed more buildings onsite because we didn't have enough classroom space. And so the Ministry got hold of us and we spoke about what this would look like. It was an incredibly collaborative process. We could talk about what the building would look like, what we would need for it to be effective for us and then we could take it to the teachers as well and show them what we were going to get. And because all the work had been done offsite, there was minimal disruption. The best thing for me was that time frames were met. The majority of the students in this class are on the autistic spectrum. Noise really impacts on their anxiety levels, so therefore on their learning. And so this is an area away from the rest of the school but still within walking distance. The students can go and work individually in workstations, there’s enough place to do that. And at the back they've got where they're going to do their hard tech, it's not within the class. So with children with autism, having defined spaces is really important so they know what to expect and where to go to. We're getting fewer incident reports which shows me that they’re really comfortable in their space and so that speaks volumes for us.

Carel Broekman, Teacher. The classroom is so much bigger. They're calm, they're relaxed, they've got more space. They like the colours of it as well and lots of light coming in. Then you've got a separate space there for the kitchen which is beautiful. They love using that space and doing the cooking there and having their lunches and morning teas there. It's a separate space which you don't always have in the old classrooms. It's quieter and they feel safe to go out and have space by themselves. They take responsibility for their own behaviour. One specific student that comes to mind, he’s verbal but he's very detached from people. Since we've moved into this room, he's been more responsible. He's been taking the responsibility of opening and closing the classroom and taking responsibility of keys. He knows what his role is in the classroom and he takes on that lead which is beautiful.

Natalie Todd, Principal. For those that can tell us, they will tell us they like their new class. For the others, we see it in their behaviour. If we get it right for them now, it helps when they're older. And so we’re building up the skills, particularly around self-regulation, so that we can take them out into the wider community and broaden their worlds.

Watch this video translated into New Zealand Sign Language here(external link)

Using offsite manufactured buildings to provide more space

The Ministry provides new spaces to support a range of uses from roll growth, building replacement to emergency response. One of our delivery methodologies is to construct new space away from the school ‘off site’.

They are:

  • built to the same standard used for permanent school buildings, and suitable as long-term space solutions.
  • installed with minimum disruption to your school.
  • suitable for many different sites.
  • built in a factory, increasing the quality aspects and safety of the build.

OMBs are built for flexibility, so in addition to classrooms can be designed for teaching, staff and student support spaces, as well as:

  • science laboratories
  • food technology
  • dance and drama studios
  • toilets and changing rooms
  • administration and reception areas
  • libraries

All OMBs are built to a high-quality standard. They:

  • incorporate information and communication technology.
  • are durable, being designed to specific site conditions including wind, seismic activity, snow and coastal exposure.
  • meet the weathertightness requirements.

Designing learning environments

Designing quality learning space guidelines

Weathertightness design requirements for new school buildings

Students in classroom.

Offsite manufactured buildings toolkit for schools

This toolkit details the roles and responsibilities, building types, colour and layout options, and delivery information.

Procuring an OMB

The procurement process for getting an OMB purchased and delivered to your school is a lot quicker than for a bespoke new build project.

This is because the Ministry has already completed the procurement for the design and the contractors are engaged ready to deliver.

Having our providers build your classroom in a factory is also quicker and safer than building on the school site.

Students on classroom deck.

Procurement phases

There are 3 phases in procuring an OMB:

  1. Project initiation: Funding is confirmed and your school is included in the demand forecast.
  2. Project planning: Your project is planned and your school signs the conditions of use.
  3. Project delivery: Your classroom is designed, constructed, delivered and installed. There's a post-occupancy evaluation after the accommodation period.

NTP indicative process diagram [PDF, 101 KB]

Phase 1: Project initiation

Confirming the funding for your new space project

You must already have funding for new space confirmed before we'll consider an OMB for your school. This funding may come from redevelopment programmes such as weathertightness remediation or the Northern classroom delivery programme.

Weathertightness remediation

Funding may also come from other redevelopment programmes such as:

Christchurch schools renewal programme

New teaching space funding

For non-teaching spaces:

School Property Guide (SPG) funding

For replacement buildings:

5 Year Agreement (5YA) funding 

Note: You apply for loose furniture and equipment funding through the Furniture and equipment grant.

Furniture and equipment for state schools

Once your funding is confirmed and added to the asset management application (K2), contact your property advisor to see if an offsite manufactured building is right for your school.

Applying for an offsite manufactured building

Your property advisor will contact the Capital Works team to begin the project approval process. This includes looking at your school with you to decide whether an OMB can go on the site.

If your site is suitable, your property advisor will do a submission for this.

Approving the submission

If your project is approved, you and your property advisor will be advised in writing and project planning will start.

Including your school in the delivery programme

Once approved, your school’s OMB is included in our demand forecast — we use the forecast to help us plan for and meet demand for OMBs.

Phase 2: Project planning

The OMB team will send you a briefing pack which contains:

  • an outline of the design process and options for you to consider before your design meeting with the provider
  • layout plans to consider
  • conditions of use to sign which includes your property management roles (including maintenance requirements), our management role, and the provider’s role. Note: this will soon be available for you to download.

You must sign the conditions of use document and return it to your property advisor. We then issue a work order for the provider to start your OMB project.

Phase 3: Project delivery

Sign the contract and start the project

After the project design is approved, we sign a works order with the provider, which is a notice to start the next stage of the project. The provider then applies for building consents.

Receive the construction management plan

The provider issues you with a construction management plan which includes:

  • a site-specific health and safety plan
  • risk register
  • quality plan
  • traffic management plan
  • security plan
  • a site condition report.

Carry out site works not associated with the OMB

You must carry out and pay for any of the work not directly associated with delivering the OMB. Talk to your property advisor about the funding streams to pay for this work.

Prepare and deliver the OMB onsite

Before the provider can deliver your OMB, allow them access to your school so they can:

  • construct foundations
  • install service connections directly linked to the OMB.

The provider delivers the OMB to your school site, installs it on its foundations and connects all of the services.

Complete the project

Once all the project work is complete the provider submits the practical completion documents to the contract management office for approval.

Your OMB is ready for use

Once our office gives approval, your OMB is ready to be occupied. The provider then gives you:

  • training advice and manuals for the systems in the OMB, such as mechanical and ventilation systems
  • a maintenance plan for general cleaning and planned maintenance for you to follow.

Notify us of any defects within 6 months

The defects liability period is 6 months. If you find faults during this time, you can contact the NTP team and the provider then fixes the faults. A defect means any error, omission, shrinkage, undue deterioration or other fault associated with the building.

Complete our evaluation form

After 4 months — the accommodation period — we send you a simple post-occupancy evaluation document to complete. This helps us improve our product and services.

Maintaining your OMBs

You're responsible for maintaining your buildings and we provide maintenance funding through your property maintenance grant.

Property maintenance grant

Make sure you plan your maintenance in line with the provider’s maintenance and cleaning plan, so you’re covered by warranties and keep your buildings in their best condition.

Outside view of classroom.

Upgrading your OMBs

You can pay for upgrades to the buildings using 5YA funding or board funding, such as fundraising or grants.

Board funding for property projects

In both cases:

  • you need our written agreement
  • we retain ownership of the building and have the right to relocate it if it’s no longer needed at your school – this includes any upgrades paid for with board funding.

Providing upgrades to the OMB without written agreement from the Ministry may affect the warranties and guarantees.

OMB repairs

During the defects period, you'll need to contact us immediately if your building requires repairs from damage to:

  • the weathertightness envelope of the building
  • any part of the building’s structure
  • HVAC systems, or
  • the electrical system.

During the term of the contract the provider is responsible for any repair work required to the items above. Works carried out by other contractors may affect the warranties and guarantees within the contract.

Using offsite manufactured buildings as temporary accommodation

If you’re using an OMB as temporary accommodation while work on other buildings is under way, the provider will remove it when you no longer need it.

Temporary accommodation situations also include:

  • emergency responses
  • roll growth that’s unlikely to be sustained
  • replacement buildings at schools with declining rolls.

We’ll discuss with you how long you need the OMB for in temporary situations. This helps us with forecasting and providing OMBs for future host schools that need short-term classroom solutions.

Students outside classroom.

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