Contractors began to demolish a four-storey block at Sacred Heart College in Lower Hutt on Monday.
A seismic assessment conducted earlier this year found Mission House would not perform “satisfactorily” in a severe, locally-based earthquake.
Before it was used for administration offices and classrooms, the building was the convent for the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions.
The College’s principal, Maria Potter, said the building held a lot of memories.
“It’s all some staff know and they’re really fond of the building.”
In her December newsletter, Potter said that staff would be farewelling Mission House as part of their staff-only days after the school holidays began.
She said it would be a time to reflect on the history of the building as well as the people and activities that have been part of this history.
“We look forward with huge excitement and anticipation to planning and designing a new building that will be purpose-built for our students and their requirements,” she said.
The building is owned by Mission Colleges Lower Hutt Trust Board. Chairman Bill Davies said an initial assessment was completed in July.
The trust considered strengthening the building but decided to demolish it instead and to build a new two-storey administration and classroom block on the space.
Contractors plan to have the building pulled down by Christmas and the site cleared by mid-January.
Potter said having the work done over the break will mean that their usual activities will be uninterrupted and 2018 can start with a focus on teaching and learning.
To cope with the loss of teaching space, six relocatable classrooms will be moved onto the grounds for the 2018 school year.
Construction of a new building will likely begin in 2019.
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