Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/178323
COURTESY GRAHAM HOFFART MATHIASEN ARCHITECTS Carson Graham Secondary School by Jerry Eberts he team behind the new threestorey Carson Graham Secondary School in North Vancouver was led by Mark Mathiasen, a partner with Surrey, B.C.-based Graham Hoffart Mathiasen Architects, and Robert Camacho, project manager with Vancouver's ITC Construction Group. What began as a renovation to bring the school in line with earthquake survivability morphed into a completely new building, keeping the 2000 addition to the old school and demolishing the oldest structure on the property. "The building footprint has been drastically reduced," says Mathiasen, "thus bringing about substantial energy ef iciencies. The volume of the building has been manipulated to draw in natural light to the lowest levels and heighten student interaction. This also allows for natural relief air movement through the three-storey atrium. Study areas that are offshoots from the corridor space encourage informal learning." Carson Graham is targeted to achieve LEED Gold certi ication, says Mathiasen, "by incorporating features such as highperformance roof, wall and window assemblies, a displacement ventilation system, high-ef iciency condensing boilers, energy-ef icient lighting, clerestories and windows." Robert Camacho of ITC Construction Group says the half-century-old school building will be demolished, but only after students have been established in the new building in September. "There were changes to the project as we went along," says Camacho. "This isn't unusual, but the reason was that we were signi icantly under budget, so another 3,400 square feet – two more T Carson Graham Secondary School p.72-73Carson Graham.indd 73 classes – were added. It was a challenge, but also a good thing to do." Camacho says large columns had to be put up next to the occupied school. "We were between a rock and a hard place," he says. "Considering it was in North Vancouver, this was almost like a downtown project, with practically zero encroachment. I would say that's not normal to be building under such constraints. But we did it." Fadi Ghorayeb, managing partner with North Vancouver-based Jones Kwong Kishi, was structural consultant for the project. He reiterates the ef iciency of the planning process and says, "The cost was so much below budget, we added more square footage. We were involved with this project from the beginning. We've worked on a lot of schools in the past few years, including Burnaby Secondary School and others." Other members of the team included electrical consultant John Jarvis, of Abbotsford-based Jarvis Engineering Consultants Ltd. and Mladen Markovic, vice-president of Vancouver's J.M. Bean & Co. Ltd. "We design and document mechanical building systems in conjunction with the owner, architect and other engineering companies for tender and construction," says Markovic, describing his role. "Building systems include heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing, drainage, and sprinkler and ire protection systems. Our new designs have evolved in response to the growing importance of indoor air quality, energy conservation, sustainable construction and lifecycle building costs." As far as the new school building is concerned, Markovic says, "This project is LEED registered and is expected to achieve Gold certi ication. The design includes an air-source heat pump, displacement ventilation, energy-recovery ventilators, on-demand control of ventilation air, natural ventilation and a highef iciency boiler for backup and peak loads. The energy modelling workshop calculated the energy performance to be 62 per cent better than the Model National Energy Code Base [MNECB] reference building." Julie Hicks, partner with Viewpoint Landscape Architects Inc., says the challenge for landscaping the new site is that the old building has not been taken down. Once that is accomplished, the landscaping can begin in earnest. "We oversee the contractors," says Hicks, pointing out that her Vancouver-based company acts as more of a consultant. "We have worked with the architects before; we've done a lot of schools, including ones in Surrey, Port Coquitlam and on Vancouver Island. It's not uncommon for the landscaping to go in quickly. Once we can start, it will be done pretty fast." "The building is organized into blocks that are angled from each other and punctuated by stair wedges that provide natural light and views," says Mathiasen. "The angular progression helps in gradually unveiling the building as one moves through, as opposed to revealing all at irst glance." The new building has 44 classrooms or teaching modules spread over three loors. There is also, says Mathiasen, "a public component that allows its utilization after hours for various functions." "All classrooms have overhead projectors for audiovisual instruction," he says. "Larger gatherings could congregate in the library, multipurpose space and gymnasium, all of which have audiovisual capabilities. The 'superlab' concept has been employed to increase equipment and service ef iciencies in science areas." "This project began as a seismic upgrade," says Mathiasen. "The building from the 1960s was reinforced concrete with unreinforced masonry in ill and susceptible to earthquakes. Ministry guidelines were such that with the replacement cost being less than 70 per cent of the upgrade, we could go ahead with an entirely new, safer building." ■ LOCATION 2145 Jones Avenue North Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER North Vancouver School District #44 ARCHITECT Graham Hoffart Mathiasen Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR ITC Construction Group STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Jones Kwong Kishi MECHANICAL CONSULTANT J.M. Bean & Company Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Jarvis Engineering Consultants Ltd. SURVEYING CONSULTANT Underhill & Underhill LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Viewpoint Landscape Architects Inc. TOTAL AREA 126,000 square feet TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST $38 million AUGUST 2012 /73 7/13/12 10:29 AM