Building clusters

Find out more about building clusters which serve as points to gather during campus-wide emergencies.

What are building clusters?

Building clusters are groups of buildings that act as coordination and information points during an emergency. In many cases, you should gather here once it is safe to do so after an emergency. These clusters allow for a quick and organised response to campus-wide emergencies, such as a severe earthquake.

  • There are eleven building clusters in Kelburn Campus.
  • Pipitea and Te Aro campuses, Auckland site, Coastal Ecology Laboratory, and Miramar Creative Centre are more compact and act as their own response units.
  • Halls of Residence and Early Childhood Centres have their own response structures connected to Kelburn’s response and the Incident Management Team.

Indoor cluster points are preferable, and remaining indoors after an earthquake is usually safer. There are two outdoor areas to assemble to if buildings are unsafe, such as if:

  • the building appears to be structurally damaged
  • the fire alarm goes off
  • if a person of authority from emergency services, the University, or a structural engineer advises leaving.

You should use your own judgement to determine the safest course of action based on available information.

Your building and fire wardens will act as cluster responders and provide an initial first response to their peers in the event of a major emergency.

Map of Kelburn building clusters

Building clusters at Kelburn Campus

Indoor Building Clusters

1. NZSM Cluster: (FT86-FT94, MS)—NZSM Reception

2. Film & Theatre Cluster: (FT65-FT85)—77 Fairlie Terrace

3. Alan MacDiarmid Cluster: (CSB, LB, AM, TTR, CO)—Swimsuit

4. Living Pā Cluster: (Living Pā, Marae)—Ground Floor Living Pā

5. Murphy Cluster: (MY, HM, VZ)—Ground Floor Murphy/Hugh Mackenzie

6. Kelburn Parade Cluster: (KP4-KP24)—Café 8 Kelburn Parade

7. Hunter Cluster: (KK0, KK1, HU, RS)—North-east Hunter Basement

8. Kirk Cluster: (KK2-KK9, OK2-OK6)—Middle of Old Kirk L3

9. Waiteata Cluster: (MARU, RC, WR2-WR16)—Recreation Centre

10. The Hub Cluster: (RB, Hub, EA, MCJ)—Middle of Hub

11. Student Union Cluster: (AAG, SU)—The Bubble

Outdoor assembly areas

1. Boyd-Wilson Field

2. Kelburn Park

Emergency preparedness training

If you’d like to learn more, the University offers emergency preparedness training for all staff. These sessions will teach you how to prepare for emergencies and about the University’s emergency response structures.