Eye in the sky ... An image of the Dental School from the time lapse camera.
A time-lapse camera is recording the largest capital redevelopment the University has ever undertaken.
From its spot on top of Zoology's Marples Building in Great King Street, the camera has been snapping the site of the $126 million project since early February, by taking a photo every minute.
Those images can already be seen refreshing every 10 seconds on the University web site, in the Property Services and Dentistry sections.
So far, the Barningham Building next to the Dental School car park has been demolished. It used to be home to the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, now housed temporarily at Logan Park and the College of Education.
Camera footage of the activity lets people get an instant visual update on the rebuild from wherever they are, including alumni, dental and academic colleagues, and students off campus.
The final footage will also interest people involved in planning, development and construction, along with the public and project stakeholders.
Detailed design work has just been completed for the redevelopment and now the tender process is being planned.
The Dental School's original Walsh Building was constructed in Great King Street in 1961, then the West Wing extension was completed in 1981.
Property Services Project Manager Wes Jenkins says that extension, behind the original building and next to the Dental School car park, will be demolished so the new Clinical Services Building can be constructed on the site. Finally, the original Walsh Building will be refurbished.
Everyone who was based in the West Wing has been relocated to the Children's Pavilion at Dunedin Hospital.
Public clinics are still being run in the Walsh Building, which also still houses the Sir John Walsh Research Institute and the main administration offices. The Dental Library has merged with the Medical Library in the Sayers Building.
Demolition of the Walsh Building's West Wing should start late this month and take about 12 weeks to complete. The entire project should be finished in September 2019.