Award

by Robin Brunet here are school projects and then there are school projects, and the $51-million Chilliwack Secondary School in Chilliwack, B.C. definitely falls into the latter category. The new three-storey facility replaces a long-standing secondary school in the city's downtown core. It houses 1,200 students (with room for future expansion to accommodate up to 1,500 students) and has space for technology, industrial education, fine arts and athletics. "It's also the new home for the Fraser Valley Distance Education School and will include offices for the Chilliwack Community Services, the Ministry of Children and Family Services, the YMCA, [and have] two daycares and family service community programs," says Dale Churchill, director of facilities and transportation for the Chilliwack School District. Walter Krahn, board chair on the Chilliwack Board of Education, adds, "We're delighted to have this beautiful facility for students, our staff as well as our local families. It's a golden opportunity to have a school and the community work together for the enhancement of the overall neighbourhood." Although the high risk to building and occupants during a seismic event was a key reasons for the replacement of the original Chilliwack Secondary School, the new targeted LEED Gold facility serves another role. It is situated in a section of the downtown core that, while historic, has faced some challenges. The school is expected to help inject new life into the neighbourhood. Shortly after funding was announced for the school and two other learning institutions in the region, the Chilliwack School District spent six months developing its RFP to determine the exact number of rooms required, the function and physical orientation. "We then had nine different design-build teams submit their CVs and we whittled the number of candidates down to three," says Rick Jones, Chilliwack Secondary principal. "The biggest challenge was how to fit a facility of this size onto the existing site and keep a track that was located on the property, but the teams T Chilliwack Secondary School p84-85Chilliwack.indd 85 renderings courtesy dialog Chilliwack Secondary School accomplished this and all three designs were viable." After determining the functional space, energy efficiency and long-term costs, Churchill, Jones and other District officials chose the Graham/DIALOG design-build team in July of 2010. DIALOG's idea to extrapolate its approach to the 1974 development of Vancouver's Granville Island played a big role in being awarded the project. Sarah Bjornson, associate for DIALOG (which was subcontracted by Graham Group Ltd.), explains: "We wanted to focus on adaptable spaces and multiple uses, in paying respect and drawing inspirations from the surrounding urban context and community; we also incorporated vibrant colours and materials such as cedar, inspired by the First Nation community." As a result, wood was not only a functional material but an architectural highlight, especially in showcase areas such as the building's entry canopy and the ceiling of the facility's 600-squaremetre multi-purpose space, which consists of Nail Laminated Timber panels supplied by StructureCraft and supported by trusses for visual appeal. Two residential houses adjacent to the 17-hectare site were purchased and demolished in order to help accommodate what will be an extensive arrangement of tennis courts, basketball courts, a promenade and other amenities. This also allowed for an improved visual connection from the new school to the main vehicular artery. Another design objective was to stitch together the urban fabric, which resulted in the decision to extend Reece Avenue into the site to connect with Charles Street and Yale Road, allowing for improved bus and parental vehicle drop off, pedestrian and bicycle traffic. "PFS Studio and project lead Mike Derksen deserves huge credit for its brilliant landscaping work," comments Bjornson. Principles of 21st century design were incorporated throughout the building, such as flexible and adaptable spaces. As such, a steel frame structural system was chosen in lieu of a concrete block system and interior movable walls were incorporated to accommodate the evolving needs of the end-users. Geothermal systems were deemed unsuitable for the site, so the school was oriented on an east-west axis to optimize heat gain and augmented with shades to reduce solar glare. Working on the idea that the building should have a campus ambiance, DIALOG created 4.5-metre-wide corridors and breakout spaces for impromptu learning sessions; rows of lockers punctuated by work benches and computer stations for visual appeal and practicality; an abundance of skylights; and openings on each floor so people on the third storey could peer down the ground level. Initiatives undertaken to meet LEED Gold standards include the use of displacement ventilation instead of traditional ductwork, and hot/cold water heating panels installed in the ceilings. Bjornson adds, "Our intention with the building is for it to be an activity hub for the community. We designed the library like a glowing lantern that cantilevers out, drawing people into the building, especially during the darker months of the year." Ground broke on the new school in May of 2011. Careful scheduling of work and delivery times was necessary to minimize impact on the school's exam and class schedules, since a portion of the new school was constructed within 10 feet of the stilloperational old facility. During a public open house back in 2011, a Stó:lō First Nation representative had commented to the public that she noticed the integrated use of cedar and was appreciative of the First Nations inspired elements that were included in the project. "This has been one of the biggest projects I've ever worked on and extremely satisfying given the initial positive feedback from end users," says Bjornson. "Our organization's slogan is 'Partners in Learning,' and the new school makes this statement come alive," says Krahn. "Its design and spaces are so supportive of welcoming learners and the learning process. Not only will stronger social learning networks be created as a result, but our aboriginal engagement will be enhanced." Churchill and his colleagues are equally enthusiastic about the finished school. "A lot of credit goes to the City of Chilliwack and the Ministry of Education for supporting this project, with the latter providing funding to ensure we had a seismically safe school," he says. "A special mention goes to our project director Doug Hibbins, who led us to the RFP stage, through the design build award stage and its successful execution. He died unexpectedly in June of this year and he will be missed." n Address 46363 Yale Road, Chilliwack, B.C Owner/developer School District #33 (Chilliwack) Architect/Structural/ Mechanical/Electrical/ Sustainability and LEED Consultants DIALOG Design-Build contractor Graham Design Builders (a JV) Total size 17,206 square metres Total cost $51 million october 2013    /85 13-09-13 4:11 PM

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