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O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 | 63 Thelma Chalifoux School P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E SY ED M O N TO N P U B L I C S C H O O L B OA R D O pened in March this year, the state-of-the-art Thelma Chalifoux School in Edmonton is a beautiful addition to the Larkspur neighbourhood and has been wel- comed by its community with open arms for many reasons. Not only was a Grade 7-9 school desperately needed in the area, but the thought process and approach to this LEED Silver targeted build led to it being one of the most innovative school designs in the area, featur- ing numerous elements that will help today's students learn and thrive. "In that particular area of the city we have a K-6 school and a K-9 school that is bursting at the seams, so we defi- nitely needed a Grade 7-9 school. Our approach from the beginning was to build a school to support the students, and not the other way around, and one that would help us continue on our journey of building 21st-Century schools," says Terri Gosine, director of infrastructure, project management office at Edmonton Public Schools. After the federal government announced funding for the new school back in 2017, Gosine and her team were quick to seek permission to use the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) methodology, which would ensure a collaborative approach. As ACI Architects (who worked along- side Number TEN Architectural Group) explains, combing the IPD pro- cess with 21st-Century Learning and Design principles led to "an efficient and rich design approach rooted in collaboration and team co-ordination." Number TEN adds that, "Several workshops, seminars and Big Room meetings were held by the IPD team to establish a design that met the needs of Edmonton Public Schools in a new collaborative way. The IPD process allowed for better planning, schedul- ing, and creativity." Construction of the new 88,500-square-feet school began in July 2018 and Delnor, along with the subtrades, were able to bring their expertise to the table to ensure a successful outcome and deliver the project ahead of schedule. For the design of the exterior of the two-storey school, precast con- crete and metal panels were used and the building was wrapped in a subtle, undulating vertical pattern of white, grey, and greens that Number TEN says is "reminiscent of nearby fields." Charcoal grey brick balances the light- ness of the composite metal panels and anchors the school to its site. Inside, the team at Number TEN and ACI Architects designed the school to be arranged into groups of class- rooms called learning communities, which create more opportunities for collaboration and connection amongst students and teachers. Each com- munity features an array of learning environments from breakout rooms and quiet study spaces to larger open areas filled with flexible furniture that can accommodate a range of activities. The school also contains a culinary- grade teaching kitchen, performing arts room, and a flexible makerspace complete with an outdoor project patio. "These communities can be divided by grade or by subject," explains Gosine. "Within each com- munity there are open spaces, breakout spaces, washrooms, and a teacher collaboration area; this helps build a better sense of connection with the students. It doesn't matter what type of learner you are, the commu- nity can cater to the individual." A highly impressive design ele- ment of the building is the wooden feature stairs that run from the centre of the building up to the second floor, where you find more spaces for quiet work as well as classrooms and learn- ing communities. Beam Craft provided detailed design work and skilled carpentry labour to assist general contrac- tor Delnor Construction with these mass timber bleacher stairs. Locally sourced GLT from Western Archrib of Edmonton was cut to fit, joined and back-primed off-site, and then installed. "This is my favourite part of the building as it provides space for stu- dents to gather in a light-filled area," says Gosine. "There is electrical in the stairs so students can plug in, and at the bottom is what we call the stage, which features soft seating. Flying high above the stairs are strikingly colourful acoustic birds that help dampen the sound in this large space." Environmentally-friendly design strategies and building materials were central to the project design solution, which is targeting LEED Silver certifi- cation. Features of the school include a precast gymnasium, in-slab heating and cooling, enhanced lighting, learn- ing stairs, outdoor heated canopies, and an outdoor amphitheater. "With the radiant infloor heating we trying something new. Kids spend a lot of time on the floor and love to sit down and have a chat or eat their lunch, and we are trying to see what it is like to make students more comfort- able," explains Gosine. This heating, alongside extensive daylighting strat- egies serve to benefit the well-being of both students and teachers. The school also features the largest solar array on a junior high school in Alberta and plans are to optimize the energy return to the Edmonton power grid. Gosine says that measurements to determine exact energy saving num- bers are ongoing, however the final goal will be to offset all the electrical. The attention to detail is incred- ibly impressive and Gosine credits the IPD process for that. "One of the ben- efits of IPD is that it brings everyone together – it allows us to walk a mile in a child's shoes and have those con- versations with the trades so everyone understands the why, and then can bring their expertise to the table. No other delivery model has this amount of collaboration." Considering the fact that Thelma Chalifoux School demonstrates a great number of design elements, it is very apt then that the school should named after its namesake who herself was considered a trailblazer and was the first Métis woman to serve in Canada's Senate and a tireless advocate for women and Indigenous peoples. A THELMA CHALIFOUX SCHOOL by NATALIE BRUCKNER LOCATION 2845 43A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta OWNER /DEVELOPER Edmonton Public School Board PROJECT MANAGER EcoAmmo Sustainable Consulting ARCHITECTS Number TEN Architectural Group / ACI Architects GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Delnor Construction STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT RJC Engineers MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Arrow Engineering ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT SMP Engineering L ANDSCAPE CONSULTANT Design North Landscape Architecture TOTAL SIZE 88,500 square feet TOTAL COST $18 million