Award

86 | J U N E 2 0 2 2 Garth Worthington School GARTH WORTHINGTON SCHOOL by ROBIN BRUNET T he story behind the new K-9 Garth Worthington School, located in the Chappelle neighbourhood of Edmonton, is nothing if not unique: not only did efficiency of design influ- ence its development, so too did an appreciation for Joni Mitchell. The school was named after a beloved local music teacher, and as a tribute Group2 Architecture Interior Design Ltd. arranged the exterior windows to represent notes on a five- line staff. "The notes are from Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi,' a song Worthington was known to use in class," says Group2 principal Anneliese Fris. "It's one of several ways we were able to express an architectural nar- rative while maintaining focus on student welfare and learning." Although a new school was opened in Chappelle in 2017, the facil- ity quickly filled to capacity. "So, we began the long process of developing a K-9 facility that would accommodate up to 900 students," says Terri Gosine, director, integrated infrastructure services at Edmonton Public Schools. The most significant aspect of the LEED Silver project for Gosine was that it was delivered under the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method whereby the developer, archi- tect, consultants, contractor, and sub-trades are brought together to share responsibility for a project out- come based on an approved budget. Fris says, "IPD gave us early access to the trades and consultants, and one example of how this benefitted the design was the glazing. We learned that glazing typically comes in two-inch increments, and therefore we were able to size windows to ensure minimal waste. We also learned from the engi- neers about optimal bay sizes, and we set the structural module accordingly." The budget efficiencies achieved by IPD allowed the team to invest in cer- tain extras. "Typical budgets only allow for overhead doors to meet 21st Century learning principles of connected learn- ing spaces. Thanks to efficiencies gained from IPD processes, we were able provide eight-foot-high fully glazed sliding walls that significantly improve the interior aesthetic and acoustic per- formance," Fris explains. Budget was also available for the commission of an abstract mural to cover the exterior "ball wall" of the gym. Engineering challenges on Garth Worthington included designing the structural system to accommodate open and free column spaces, while staying within the budget by creating regular column grids and eliminating fabrication and construction complex- ities. IPD facilitated this by allowing Entuitive to determine a scheme that worked for the architectural func- tional program, while being simple enough to be affordable. As for layout, Fris says, "We devel- oped a simple part of an east-west circulation spine articulated by clere- story windows and terminated with student entries on the ends. The interior is anchored by a central pre- sentation stair and bisected by the shorter north-south axis that serves the main entry and learning com- mons. Classrooms are located on the perimeter for maximum daylight access. We located the gym on the rear of the school next to the adjacent play- ing fields, park, and multi-use trail. "The circulation structure allows for easy navigation, as does the choice to group K-4 students on the main level and 5-9 students on the upper level, with a bridge on the upper level and some classrooms with interior glazing for clear views of both levels." When Group2 learned at the end of the schematic design process that the school would be named after Garth Worthington, Fris hit on the idea of the musical notes. "We purchased sheet music of 'Big Yellow Taxi' to develop the pattern that wraps around the building. The varying windowsill heights are such that the lowest notes are six inches above the floor: ideal for the younger students, affording them clear views to the outside," she says. Some windows have coloured frames representing words in the song – pink hotel, yellow taxi, green trees. The musical motifs were continued with black and white cladding and a black and white striped entrance (resem- bling piano keys). Chandos Construction broke ground in 2020, having already addressed a crucial problem: soil con- ditions that would have eventually affected the performance of the grade- supported main floor required a late design change to a suspended slab sys- tem. The IPD environment supported efficient rework effort without delay- ing the schedule. Chandos credits the IPD process for the decision to "complete the gym walls with a precast system, saving time, money, and increasing safety." Garth Worthington School opened in September of 2021, complete with a photovoltaic array on the roof that off- sets the facility's electricity use during high solar production months. For her part, Gosine is thrilled with the outcome: "IPD is the best building method for our needs, and for Garth Worthington it not only led to incred- ible efficiencies, but it also made the design process fun. We hope it will continue to be used." A LOCATION 351 Chappelle Drive SW, Edmonton, Alberta OWNER /DEVELOPER Edmonton Public School Boards ARCHITECT Group2 Architecture Interior Design Ltd. GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Chandos Construction STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Entuitive MECHANICAL CONSULTANT MCW Hemisphere Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT WSP L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Design North Landscape Architecture Inc. TOTAL SIZE 84,500 square feet TOTAL COST $29.9 million P H OTO G R A P H Y BY M I C H A EL M A N C H A KOWS K I /CO U RT E S Y G RO U P 2 A RC H I T EC T U R E I N T ER I O R D E S I G N LT D.

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