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DECEMBER 2019 | 57 St. Veronica School PHOTOGRAPHY BY JODI O PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY DAWSON WALLACE CONSTRUCTION LTD. St. Veronica School by LAURIE JONES H aving a building project come in ahead of schedule is always a bonus, but for everyone involved in the design and construction of St. Veronica School in Airdrie, Alberta, celebrating the school's opening months ahead of the planned date was particularly special. "Over the past five years, Airdrie [by percentage] has been one of the fastest growing communities in Alberta," says Felicia Zuniga, senior communications specialist, Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD). "Prior to St. Veronica opening, we had three schools in Airdrie. As the city has grown, we have had to be creative with the grade con- figurations at the schools to balance the utilization of all three schools. The continued growth in the area meant we needed another school." Zuniga explains the CCSD employs a constant improvement model with their floor plans. "We collaborate with the architect and stakeholders, but we also direct what we want to see based on the success of other schools. This site was a little more condensed so we needed a unique floorplan. It ended up being a hybrid combination of two for- mer designs." From the moment people enter the main doors, with a backlit cross against the exterior decorative Trespa panels, the atmosphere is welcoming. "When you walk in you see an open foyer area with three-storey windows facing east, which is a focal point of the school," says Zuniga. "Exposed glulam beams are another highlight of this area and continue along the upstairs hallway. This isn't a typical finish in schools, but we wanted to create a unique and beautiful environment with a positive atmosphere. We like to have large spaces like this for meetings or celebrations in our schools, and here we call it The Vortex at St. Veronica." What used to be called libraries are now Learning Commons. Instead of people reading quietly there could be music, activities, or other events. "The Learning Commons is a beautiful feature of the school with high ceilings. The colourful sus- pended sound tiles create a cross pattern that reflects our Catholic faith," she says. St. Veronica School has two large physical education spaces – the main gym and auxiliary gym to create flex- ibility for the different grades. She adds a fully integrated ECS – Early Childhood Services, or kindergarten area has been included in the design. "They have their own dedicated entrance to come in with their parents, away from the hustle of the older chil- dren coming to school." To accommodate the 360 students, the design includes eight attached mod- ular classrooms, with the capacity to have up to 14 modulars if the school needs extra space in the future. One of the modulars has been designated for a before- and after-school care program. "Parents drop their children off before school starts on the way to work and the kids can stay there after school until they get picked up," she says. With a two- level part of the school, the grades five and six students get to be upstairs and have their own area. This gives them a sense of leadership and independence. Jonny Hehr, project architect at Gibbs Gage Architects, says in addition to the colourful and warm palette in the school's overall design, the music room is unique with interesting treat- room is unique with interesting treat- room is unique with interesting treat ments on the wall for acoustics. "It's a felt product that lines the wall with linear patterns, and then it turns and hangs from the ceiling," he says. "It cre- ates a nice geometry and elevates up to the clerestory windows." Hehr adds that as people approach the building they are greeted with an exterior pattern designed as an abstract of the prairie landscape, with the warm wood Trespa panels signify- ing the welcoming atmosphere of the main entrance. Most construction projects in Alberta have the challenge of winter weather, and St. Veronica School was no excep- tion. "It was an extremely cold winter in the Calgary region, with tempera- tures dipping to -30 from Christmas to March," says Andrew Van Beilen, project manager, Dawson Wallace Construction Ltd. "Having said that, we finished the project slightly ahead of schedule with everyone working together to make that happen. We had our occupancy inspec- tion the Friday before Labour Day, and the parents, teachers, and volunteers worked tirelessly over the long week- end to setup/arrange the school in only a few days. It was a big celebration for everyone involved." A LOCATION 380 Coopers Drive SW, Airdrie, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER Calgary Catholic School District ARCHITECT Gibbs Gage Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR Dawson Wallace Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT BEI Engineering (2000) Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Remedy Engineering Inc. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT SMP Engineering CIVIL CONSULTANT Kellam Berg Engineering & Surveys Ltd. BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT BEEI TOTAL SIZE 40,623 square feet TOTAL COST $22 million

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