Award

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 | 57 École Secondaire Handsworth Secondary School I N T ER I O R P H OTO G R A P H Y BY ED W H I T E + R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y K M B R A RC H I T EC T S P L A N N ER S I N C . ÉCOLE SECONDAIRE HANDSWORTH SECONDARY SCHOOL by ROBIN BRUNET R eplacing École Secondaire Handsworth Secondary School in North Vancouver took $65.7 million, a significant amount of stake- holder consultation, considerable forward-thinking on the part of the architects, and a substantial amount of structural steel to bring the build- ing to life. Early on in the project it was decided students would stay in the old building while the new school was constructed on its track field. LEED Gold was targeted, and the facility needed to accommodate up to 1,500 grade eight to 12 students, all of whom would learn in a 21st-century envi- ronment, with collaborative spaces between classrooms and open wel- coming common areas. KMBR Architects Planners designed a visually striking facility of brick, charcoal metal, and cementi- tious panelling plus curtain wall, with a triple-height grand entrance at the centre. The atrium and curtain wall bring natural light deep inside, as do high windows along the gym perimeter. Meanwhile, Handsworth's resiliency was aided by a seismic sepa- ration that divides the building. For the new school, KMBR designed the two drama classrooms so they operate as both classrooms and a double-height 270-seat the- atre. The programmable theatre lights are accessed from a state- of-the-art cable grid in place of a traditional catwalk. The design team also included a backstage dressing room that connects to the adjacent dance studio and music room. The gym was designed to accom- modate three classes at one time and host tournaments, with bleacher seat- ing for more than 500 spectators. In the east wing of the school, engi- neering and robotics classrooms plus a wood shop feed into a central digital design studio. Classrooms on the sec- ond and third floor are grouped into small learning communities, with each learning community comprised of five classrooms clustered around a student collaboration space with ample daylight, and breakout rooms and spaces for teacher collaboration and preparation. KMBR focused an equal amount of attention on student comfort: natu- ral daylight, views of the mountains and trees, and a displacement ventila- tion system that ensures outdoor air is brought into every classroom. Vince Cox, senior mechanical engi- neer at Integral Group, adds that the school's primary heating and sole cooling source is provided by four water source heat pumps and two dry fluid coolers, and high-efficiency gas boilers provide at peak heating demands. Heating in the space is pro- vided by low temperature high mass radiant heaters that were integrated into the classroom millwork. Care was also taken to think about inclusion in the design of every class- room, washroom, and common area throughout the school. This is reflected in the design of accessible stations in each and every science and foods classroom, the use of multiple languages and inclusive imagery in school signage, and the provision of indoor and outdoor spaces and land- scape design that support Indigenous ways of knowing and teaching. Construction on the new school began in spring of 2020 after Ventana Construction was awarded the proj- ect. "The site was congested because we were working near the old school and had to ensure student, staff, and worker safety at all times, plus you can't park offsite in the District of North Vancouver," says project man- ager Eric Duke. "Add the fact we were in a pandemic, and nobody wanted to carpool, and we had a challenge." One solution came when the slab- on-grade was completed in 11 pours, from May to August of 2020. "We used this as an additional laydown area for the steel," Duke says.

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