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AUGUST 2018 | 89 Salish Secondary School RENDERINGS COURTESY KMBR ARCHITECTS PLANNERS INC. Salish Secondary School by ROBIN BRUNET I t's not uncommon in the construction sector for many new schools to be funded simultaneously, with the inten- tion of getting them up and running at the same time to meet the demands of growing communities. And while the use of a template design makes this pos- sible and saves money, it comes at the expense of architectural expression. That's why the new $55.2-million Salish Secondary school in Surrey, B.C. is a special project for everyone involved. Built to accommodate 1,500 grade 8-12 students, the facility is nestled on grade, and with its jutting awnings, glulam features, and numer- ous design details, it could easily be mistaken by pedestrians for a sumptu- ous tech headquarters. Inside, the Salish Secondary is a model for the 21st-century learning concept, thanks to containing plenty of open learning spaces and flex rooms. Natural light penetrates deep into the building due to an abundance of glaz- ing and light wells; and high-tech labs, two gymnasiums, a fitness room, a theatre, and numerous outdoor and roof-top social spaces contribute to this being a unique addition to the portfolio of owners Surrey School District No. 36. Simon Lim, associate at KMBR Architects Planners Inc., gives full credit to the school district for making Salish Secondary noteworthy in terms of design. "They hadn't built a new sec- ondary school in at least eight years and really wanted to develop some- thing special when we came on board in 2014," he says. "Although this project was very much a case of form following function, the district left it up to us as to what the school would look like. It was a terrific, very supportive collaboration." In its project description, KMBR states that the school would feature "10 Learning Communities consist- ing of various sized learning spaces surrounding an open wet/dry proj- ect space. These agile learning spaces incorporate the latest technologies, movable walls, writable surfaces, plenty of natural light, and support core principles such as anytime-any- where, collaborative, project and inquiry-based learning." KMBR adds, "Re-jigging the template for school design required a fresh per- spective, starting with new names for traditional spaces. Music, arts and drama become MAD Labs and the metal and wood shops become TED [Technology Engineering and Design] Labs. Learning spaces incorporate discovery labs, break-out and multi-purpose gathering spaces, and learning commons." Lim says, "We undertook more than usual consultation with the dis- trict, teachers, and even maintenance staff to determine space usage, layout, and features. Everything came under the microscope. We also conducted extensive energy modelling, which would help inform the work of JM Bean & Co. Ltd. and Jarvis Engineering Consultants – the mechanical and elec- trical consultants, respectively." With resiliency of construction being a perpetual goal of all school projects, KMBR developed an appropri- ate materials palette: "For the exterior we chose masonry for the lower lev- els along with exposed concrete," says Lim. "Inside, we had a suspended floor for the first two levels, and then exposed glulam beams for the upper floors, to impart a warm ambiance." Sheet vinyl flooring was chosen by the school district for durability. The 21st-century learning concept posed interesting structural chal- lenges. "Instead of classrooms you have studios opening onto collabora- tion areas throughout the facility with plenty of sliding glass walls, and this meant fewer opportunities for braces or columns, and a lot of lost opportu- nities for elements such as electrical plugs," says Rob Hall, partner at Bush, Bohlman & Partners. "Using cast-in- place concrete floors allowed for an open, flexible, and robust solution. To avoid mechanical duct work in the exposed glulam we went with rooftop systems above each of these areas." Construction processes were planned for cost efficiency and to ensure enough money would be avail- able for instances of key visual impact. "For example, the shops, the theatre, and the gyms were all fast and cost- effective tilt-up construction topped with steel joists and metal deck- ing, while the raised atriums in the corridors and glulam features were obviously something that would have great visual appeal," says Hall. Construction began in the fall of 2016. "The site soil was clay, so it was important to establish a staging area – which we did by gravelling out the parking lot," says Dennis Rossi, proj- ect manager for DGS Construction Company. "We also made sure we had good quality trades that would be able to deliver and reinforce what would be an enormous use of concrete." With the school consisting mainly of three wings, DGS started one wing and then proceeded to the other, with the trades following behind. "This staggered approach to construction proved to be very efficient," says Rossi. "Special mention should be given to Surrey School District site manager Dick Koch: he was a terrific organizer and communicator." Van der Zalm + associates Inc. was charged with designing a sand-based sport field (complete with irrigation and drainage) on the school site along with a lower turf practice field and two basketball courts to the west. Jennifer Wall, landscape designer for Van der Zalm, also contributed to the school's overall design by creating gathering spaces for the two main pla- zas and main entrance. "We worked with the different site elevations to create terraced concrete benches that were completed with a stamped wooden plank finish," she says. These concrete plazas were softened with plant beds throughout with the consid- eration of year-round interest and wall coverage by including such things as self-clinging hydrangea vines. The public opening of Salish Secondary School in the summer of 2018 was greeted with great enthu- siasm from locals and media, and Lim echoes the sentiments of the design and construction team as well as the sub-trades when he says, "Everything went very smoothly with this project, and DGS delivered a beautiful facility within budget. We hope it will remain a vital part of the community for the next 50 years." A LOCATION 7278 184th Street, Surrey, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER Surrey School District No. 36 ARCHITECT KMBR Architects Planners Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR DGS Construction Company STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Bush, Bohlman & Partners MECHANICAL CONSULTANT JM Bean & Co. Ltd ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Jarvis Engineering Consultants Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT van der Zalm + associates inc. TOTAL SIZE 13,685 square metres TOTAL COST $55.2 million 9:51 AM 10:08 AM

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