Enviroschools : Eco Hut Challenge

Kapiti College Builds Again 2011

Smjoshua-james and sarah build willow ecohut

- the start of a series of living eco huts in Kapiti

Students from Kāpiti College were busy building a live ‘ecohut’ one Friday in June, as part of a unit for their Building Construction, Technology course.

Ōtaki Gorge put on the perfect conditions for the build, with damp, easy ground for planting the locally sourced willow poles, and clear skies for the group to work under.

In less than two hours, the team of ten Year 12 students rammed holes, planted the willow in a circle, wedging it in at the base, wove the poles together, then tied them at intersections to create a stable, attractive hut with diamond lattice walls and a canopy.

“Getting the weaving right is the most difficult technical aspect”, explained 17 year old, Sarah Simpson. “But over time, the joins will grow together and make it strong”.

“Yes, it will grow thicker as it spreads shoots, and will get leafier in the spring”, commented Joshua-James Healey, 16. “As it grows, it will create its own shower-proof protection.”

The ecohut build is a fundraiser for CanTeen, and a gift for the family who live on the property. The hut is intended as a meditation and creative space for former Paraparaumu College student, Andrew Walmsley. Now 25, Andrew is in cancer remission and works part time for CanTeen, while studying at Victoria University.

“The hut looks out at the waterfall and stream. In time, it’s going to look gorgeous”, said a satisfied Joshua-James.

Teacher Kerie Holmes was pleased with her team’s efforts, expressing surprise at how quickly the hut was built. “Last year, it took us a whole day as the ground was very hard. Now that we know how easy it can be, we’ll look at creating a trail of ecohuts for various purposes, throughout the Kāpiti Coast”.

The 2010 Eco Hut Challenge Participants

Designing, building, reviewing, celebrating

Congratulations Eco Hut teams and their teachers from . . .

Kapiti College, Plimmerton School, St Patricks Primary in Masterton and Ngaio Primary.

All schools designing an eco hut and took part in a peer review process during March 2010. Kapiti College and St Patricks have built theirs, the Kapiti students plan to help Plimmerton students build theirs in the near future and Ngaio School have plans to build theirs later this year. We will post photos as they arrive.

Ngaio School EcoHut Case Study

An inspiring reflection using the Action Learning Cycle

A class of Year 5 and 6 students from Ngaio School had a vision 'to create a sustainable ecohut to enhance our environment and so children can learn about plants and nature'.

This case study, put together by teacher Kristin Sheppard, is a very inspiring reflection of how the class came up with their project and vision, and how they used the Action Learning Cycle to record and reflect on their process to create their ecohut!

Kapiti College

Outstanding Teamwork and Diverse Habitat

The Kapiti College eco hut team and their technology teacher Kerie Holmes took this project with gusto. Keri only discovered the idea towards the end of 2009 and immediately developed the first term's unit based on this challenge. The "lads" got motivated, made designs, built models and then the real thing, with the following fabulous results.

St Patricks and Plimmerton provided the peer review teams and awarded the Kapiti College team The Outstanding Teamwork and Diverse Habitat awards. Kapiti College are going to help Plimmerton build the hut they designed later in the year and are also keen to help other schools do the same. The team have had to dismantle their hut but have managed to gain permission from the board to build a permanent structure next year. The team say "Bring on the next Eco Hut Challenge, we'll be entering for sure."

Kerie Recommends this as a great project for secondary students with a technology or build focus.

St Patrick's Primary (Masterton)

Diverse Animal Habitat and Effective Use of Local Materials

St Patrick's Primary had a serious environmental purpose for their ecohut. They wanted to create a structure to house some animals who would consume their food waste. They considered rabbits, pigs and chickens. The council wouldn't let them have pigs, and chickens will eat more things than rabbits. So the eco hut became a chook house.

The team worked with expert, Andrew Stewart, facilitator Gill Stewart and teachers Penny Thompson and Liz Keene to design their hut and their caretaker has been really helpful too. The structure is in place complete with walls made from old school signs.

The painting has begun with a variety of colours according to what was left over from various other projects.

All that's needed now is the chicken wire and the wheels - it's going to be moving about the school.

Plimmerton Primary and Kapiti College peer reviewed the hut from St Patricks, awarding them Most Diverse Animal Habitat and Effective Use of Local Materials. The team won some paint to put the final touches on their hut and here it is all complete! Congratulations EcoHut team!

Plimmerton School

Diverse Habitat and Effective Use of Natural Materials

Plimmerton School held a competition. Students built models with advice from a local expert, Peter Rodeka.

They chose their favourite to be built. The winning model was designed by Dai Kiddle from Year 7 (Year 6 in 2009).