Cumberland College Warden Luke Morrison has played a pivotal role in the refurbishment of the college.
The Castle Wing of Cumberland College has undergone compliance and refurbishment works over the summer as a result of a concerted and collaborative effort between contractors Southbase group, Property & Campus Development, and Cumberland College staff.
Head of Capital Works Wes Jenkins says the considerable mahi of college warden Luke Morrison and his team and project managers Margot Rohan and Kirsten Eichstaedt ensured the project was completed on time for students moving in at the end of Flo Week 2026.
The first phase of improvements was conducted over the summer break and included key compliance and infrastructure upgrades and accessibility improvements. The Castle Wing now has a new sprinkler system and fire doors, refurbished bathrooms, and the upper floors have been updated with new carpets, paint, lighting and exterior wall insulation. Additional shared facilities were also added including laundries, kitchens and common rooms to support more dispersed social activity across the college.
The remaining floors in Castle Wing alongside Cumberland Wing East will be completed next summer and Cumberland Wing West will be refurbished in the summer of 2027-28.
“My team has been working on the accommodation portfolio across the campus over a number of years, and Cumberland College is a key component of this work. Through this staged work, we are improving the standard across the portfolio,” Wes says.
The project has been split into three phases so the disruption is minimised for the student community and achieved outside of semester time.
“We kept the first phase lean to ensure we could achieve what we wanted to before students arrived back and to refine the process for the next two phases. We are now in the lessons learned and planning stage in preparation for the 2026/27 work,” he says.
Cumberland College Warden Luke Morrison oversees the 7,814.91m2 college and 325-strong student population and has played a pivotal role in the refurbishment process, ensuring student needs are catered for, and liaising with the project team.
Luke says he is pleased with the results of the refurbishment and is already getting good feedback from students about the upgrades.
“While we do maintenance work every year – such as paint touch ups and repairs where they are needed – Cumberland College hasn’t had a refurbishment in decades. It is exciting to be a part of this process and the whole team is looking forward to seeing the finished product in three years’ time.”
- Kōrero by Lu Morris, Communications Adviser (Projects)