An extremely tight programme drove an extraordinary collaborative effort between client, architect, structural engineer and the local construction industry. Necessity was the mother of invention: design decisions were guided by what the industry could deliver and building information modelling and off-site fabrication was used to maximise delivery times and minimise material wastage. The quality of the Green School’s architecture achieved in just under a year, with three ‘waka’ classrooms and surrounding landscaping established on site, is impressive. The distinctive tensile fabric learning vessels were inspired by eel nets and provide the school with a clearly identifiable brand. Inside, the use of timber, and palpable sense of craft, impart a soothing quality to the single learning space. It will be interesting to see how this school develops and how the ‘waka’ classrooms facilitate a brave new world of learning.