. ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Even ▁before ▁the ▁first ▁sett lers ▁came ▁out ▁to ▁Can ter bury ▁on ▁the ▁First ▁Four ▁Sh ips , ▁James ▁Fitz G er ald ▁had ▁designed ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Big ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁back ▁in ▁England ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁settlement ▁planned ▁by ▁the ▁Can ter bury ▁Association . ▁The ▁Can ter bury ▁Provin cial ▁Council , ▁of ▁which ▁Fitz G er ald ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁Super int endent ▁( 1 8 5 3 – 1 8 5 7 ), ▁voted ▁ <0xE2> <0x82> <0xA4> 1 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁Big ▁School . ▁ ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁constructed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁school ' s ▁first ▁stone ▁building . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁building ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁designed ▁by ▁Fitz G er ald . ▁ ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁rem od elled ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁by ▁Mil es ▁Warren , ▁an ▁old ▁boy ▁of ▁the ▁school . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁building ▁in ▁the ▁school ▁complex . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁educational ▁building ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁in ▁continuous ▁use . ▁ ▁Until ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁still ▁largely ▁in ▁its ▁original ▁condition , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁extended ▁towards ▁the ▁west ▁by ▁five ▁g abled ▁wings . ▁ ▁Sir ▁Mil es ▁was ▁the ▁architect ▁again ▁and ▁he ▁won ▁awards ▁for ▁the ▁extension . ▁The ▁view ▁from ▁the ▁school ' s ▁quad rangle ▁remained ▁the ▁same .