Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1433288
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 57 École H.S. Grenda Middle School R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y S TAT I O N O N E A RC H I T EC T S ÉCOLE H.S. GRENDA MIDDLE SCHOOL by ROBIN BRUNET T o a degree, site constraints played a role in the new École H.S. Grenda Middle School resembling a tech facility or even a post modern work of art. Viewed head- on, the three-storey building with its topline curvature and cantilevered mid section seems like a stylized gull poised in mid-flight. Justin Dyck, architect at Station One Architects, explains, "The devel- opment space was bordered by the sports field of an existing high school and a golf course, so initially we had less space than the Education Ministry would normally allow for school devel- opment. That led us to design three storeys instead of two." Located in the Okanagan's Lake Country, H.S. Grenda accommodates 600 students with 20 learning studios designed with 21st-century learn- ing principles in mind, complete with overhead operational doors connect- ing to adjacent maker spaces. The project benefitted from a syn- ergy between Station One and Central Okanagan Public School District #23 (SD23): both had collaborated on the development of Canyon Falls Middle School, and for H.S. Grenda they repeated their routine of SD23 focus- ing on programming while Station One focused on architecture, with extensive input sought from user groups. "In fact, the school board pushed us to give them something visually special, which was unusual but very welcome," Dyck says. A learning stairs was designed as an interior showcase and is located in the middle of the building, aug- menting an entry that opens into a grand, triple height space. "This area is bathed in natural light, and we designed most of the windows throughout to be floor-to-ceiling, way more than in most schools," Dyck says. "High degrees of natural daylighting became a key interior design element, augmented by wavy, curvy wood ceil- ings, striated maple board ceilings in the learning pod centres, and occa- sional colour accents." Station One and SD23 located the administration area, drama, music, and other electives on the first floor, along with the gym; the upper two levels contain a two-storey floating can- tilevered learning commons, which captures surrounding views from any vantage point. "Four pods of five classes per pod were designed for the second and third levels, complete with elec- tric operable walls that would make the pods completely open or broken down into different configurations of pri- vate spaces," Dyck says. Direct access to designated outdoor learning spaces throughout the site were created, and to an outdoor amphitheatre. Station One also broke convention when it came to materials selection. "We used a commercial carpet tile for flooring in the classrooms because it would feel nice and absorb sound," Dyck says. "Our carpet is made of vinyl and easy to maintain, and if a panel is damaged it can easily be replaced." Maple Reinders broke ground on the project in January of 2020, the site prep having been done along with drilling for the school's geothermal sys- tem. Project manager Danuta Wojtowicz says, "At peak about 90 to 100 people were working on site, and we started in winter rather than fall because long leads times for structural steel meant it would not be fabricated for delivery to site prior to early spring 2020." Aluminum composite panel was the main cladding material, and the east and west faces were clad with stand- ing seam panels (the same material used for the roof). "The first winter was fairly mild, but not so for our sec- ond winter on the job," Wojtowicz says. "Hoarding was required, but we were able to complete the job and maintain strict quality control standards." For his part, Dyck is happy with the finished school. "The quality is there and the feedback has been terrific," he says. "Apparently the teachers love the operable walls, and the students love the cave spaces with lighting that we built into other walls for them – as well as, of course, the feature staircase." A LOCATION 10168 Konschuh Road, Lake Country, B.C. OWNER /DEVELOPER Central Okanagan Public School District No 23 ARCHITECT/L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Station One Architects GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Maple Reinders STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT CWMM Consulting Engineers Ltd. MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL / ENERGY MODELLING/ GEOEXCHANGE CONSULTANT Falcon Engineering Ltd. KITCHEN CONSULTANT WHG Design TOTAL COST $40 million 12:06 PM 11:50 AM