The University Union conservatory replacement project will create a seamless indoor-outdoor flow from café to conservatory.
An upgrade at the University Union café Auahi Ora – a new conservatory and outdoor eating area – aims to make it an even more vibrant and social space for tauira and staff.
Not only is the building’s existing conservatory being replaced but the outdoor eating area will have a louvre roof, tables, seating, heating, lighting, and screening pot plants.
Inside Auahi Ora café, the project includes replacing the conservatory’s single-glazed glass with double-glazing and the glass roof with a solid roof that has a series of double-glazed skylights, to keep the area warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
To create a more seamless indoor-outdoor flow, the two sets of double doors to the outside will be replaced with larger sliding doors and existing steps will be replaced with a flat, accessible surface. The interior floor will be a continuation of the existing Auahi Ora floor.
While the conservatory will be the same size as before, the new outdoor eating area in front of it will provide more options for eating and socialising.
Tables and bench seats will be under a louvre-opening roof, to control the amount of sun, shade, and rain. This courtyard will also have lighting and heating and be lined with potted plants.
Site set-up started on Wednesday, 13 November. This project will not affect access through the OUSA archway to the Dunedin campus or to the University Union’s main entrance. However, Auahi Ora will be closed throughout construction.
Demolition of the existing conservatory should start late this week or the following week, and the project is expected to be finished soon after the beginning of Semester One 2025, barring unforeseen delays.
The building work is initiated and funded by the building’s owner University Union Ltd – a student-focused partnership between the Otago University Students’ Association and University of Otago Holdings Ltd, while the University has funded all furniture and the outdoor eating area.
University Union Ltd Board Chair George Benwell says it strives to improve the Union for students and the project is a concrete example of enhancing their eating and socialising options, which contributes to a vibrant campus focused on students’ daily needs.
This project is in line with the University’s Pae Tata Strategic Plan to 2030 which envisages vibrant spaces that meet students’ needs and contribute to their outstanding experiences at Otago.
