Auckland Normal Intermediate School – A Collaborative Learning Environment

Auckland Normal Intermediate (ANI) is a co-educational state school in Mt Eden, Auckland, catering to students aged 11 to 13. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, ANI is known for its commitment to developing globally minded, confident learners.

Spaceworks was brought on to design a series of student and staff areas that reflect the personality of ANI in a fun, meaningful way. Each space was shaped to celebrate the school’s modern learning practices, with a focus on creating inspiring, enjoyable environments.

From the Maker Spaces to the Library, we used colour, paint, and graphics to lift the existing interiors—always working within budget. The goal was to help students feel connected and comfortable in their daily spaces. Colour was used both boldly and subtly to spark creativity and support learning. These flexible, future-ready spaces encourage the school’s collaborative, inquiry-based approach, supporting student wellbeing and boosting staff morale.

The client also wanted to create a welcoming concierge-style experience in the admin area. This gave us room to get creative. Clever joinery helped organise the space, adding built-in storage, compact counters, and integrated sign-in tech to bring things up to date. Staff areas were designed to feel homely and relaxed, with new kitchen joinery, comfortable furniture, refreshed bathrooms, and considered touches like artwork—offering teachers and admin staff a place to meet, recharge, and connect.

“Spaceworks’ ability to capture   our vision perfectly and translate it into some pretty awesome proposals. We would work with Spaceworks again without reservation.”
— Bryce Mills, Deputy Principal

This project is a great example of our passion for educational design, creating environments that grow with the needs of students and teachers, and empower learning at every level.