Vientiane, January 20, 2023

A glimpse to the future

We are very nearly at the end of this major project. It is difficult to believe that it is almost two years ago to the day that we broke ground for the Campus Gateway project (February 14th 2021). The Courts (gym) opened at the beginning of November and we will have a small "house warming ceremony" next Friday, 27th January 2023, so that we can start moving into The Commons (admin and performing arts building).

The team is doing the last minute snagging so that they can hand over most spaces to us by Tuesday. We will still have to finish off:

• Acoustic cladding in the recording studio and practice rooms (the original cladding didn't meet fire retardant standards and has to be replaced).

• Landscaping and the new football field (including an aquaponics garden)

• Theatre - seating should be finished on Tuesday and installation of the audio-visual equipment / stage curtains etc. is scheduled to be complete by 15th February.

The Admin team and Performing Arts team will start moving in next week so that we can be fully operational in our new spaces from Monday 30th January. We are planning the official opening on Saturday 25th February and invitations will be sent out in due course.

To whet your appetite, have a look at the photos below.

What are we doing with the vacated spaces? There is a small working group looking at this and we will publish the ideas from this group by the end of January - so watch this space.

Vivien Brelsford | Finance & Operations Manager

Vientiane, March 23, 2022

Project Update

Elsa and I were able to take our first site visit today and really appreciate the scale and potential of the two new buildings. It was truly impressive to see so many people working in the different spaces: plastering, brick laying, laying ducting for services etc. We are grateful to the amazing teams who are helping turn our initial dreams into a reality.

Vivien Brelsford | Finance & Operations Manager

Project Update

As we welcome our community back to campus, it is clear that the "landscape" has been transformed by the construction work that has taken place over the last ten months. It is exciting to see the steel trusses being lifted into place to support the roof structure as it helps to give a real sense of the size and scale of these two buildings.

In terms of construction, we are about 42% of the way through - although the remaining construction will go much faster than the initial stages. There have been some COVID-related challenges that have impacted the original timescale which was only to be expected but fortunately have not been as severe as they could have been.

The contractors are focusing on getting the gymnasium finished in time for the new school year in August so that students can have access to that facility from the outset. We are expecting the Admin and Performing Arts building to be handed over around the middle of next semester. This is a more complex building and the delay does not compromise our ability to deliver the performing arts programs.

We have appreciated KPG's ability to build around us without disrupting our access to campus. However, as pipes and drainage systems start to be laid under the walkway between the two buildings, we may have to change the way in which we all walk into the campus. Once we have more information we will communicate about the changes.

If you have not already done so, please explore this site to see the journey that has brought us to this point and full details of the design, including a virtual tour of what the new facilities will look like when they are finished.

A Mission-Driven Project

The VIS Board Chair, Sandra Seastedt, shares the "why" behind the project. Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the page to experience the virtual tour.

Virtual Tour

Imagine walking through the spaces and share in our excitement at the possibilities that await.