Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/218643
courtesy school district 53 (Okanagan-similkameen) Southern Okanagan Secondary School by Tiffany Sloan ost building projects turn out to be a bit more work than expected. Some can morph into a whole other project altogether. The renovation of the Southern Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver, B.C. – a landmark heritage building and the first school in the province to cost over $1 million when it was built in 1948 – began with the intention of making some much-needed capital improvements. The plan blended new and old: half the school would be rebuilt and the rest would be renovated to retain the heritage features. The rebuild was completed first and the school's 500 students returned in September 2011 to a brand new science wing, office, gymnasium, library and atrium. But just one week into classes, a fire broke out. The origin of the fire was in the original section of the high school. While a firewall built into the connection point between the new and old structures limited damages to the new construction, the heritage portion of the building burnt to the ground. And with that, the scope of the project was much more than was planned for. The project architects – KMBR Architects Planners Inc. and CEI Architecture – were sent back to the drawing board to design a replacement for the east wing of the building, including the library, classrooms, administration area and theatre. With students displaced into portables on school grounds, there was no time to be lost. "Because the time pressure was so great, we decided to break it up into three separate tenders," says Michael Weilmeier of CWMM Consulting Engineers Ltd. The first tender was for the concrete work of the east wing, the second for the structural steel of the east wing and the third comprised everything else – mechanical, electrical, M Southern Okanagan Secondary School p68-69Southern OK Secondary.indd 69 landscaping and reconstruction of the east wing and theatre. Although issuing smaller tenders was more work in up-front coordination, it meant they could allow shorter timeframes to respond – two weeks instead of the usual six or eight – which Weilmeier estimates shaved at least three months off the timeline. The solution was not without its challenges, though. Foundations were being poured before the design was fully complete. "Changes were coming through from design coordination and we had to say, 'No, this has already been built. We have to work with what we've got.'" The original building was designed in the Art Deco Streamline Moderne style that was popular in the 1940s and heavily influenced by industrialization and the emerging transportation era. "The new design is a modern interpretation of that Streamline Moderne style, without specifically mimicking the old style," explains Gregg Brown, principal with KMBR Architects Planners and partner in charge. It retains a strong emphasis on horizontal lines and curved elements, as well as the use of materials such as stucco, aluminum and stainless steel. Yet there is contemporary appeal: plenty of curtain wall glazing, and wood construction showcased in the form of exposed Glulam beams and columns. Some features are decidedly modern. The new school features geothermal heating and cooling and a heat recovery system, as well as demonstration photovoltaic panels and a wind turbine. There's also an impressively high-tech central control system. "The control systems for all of the buildings are fully integrated," explains Michael Symonds, project manager with Greyback Construction Ltd. "They run through a central HMI system that is operated from a series of touch screens within each room, and it controls lighting, HVAC, the security system – everything. If you've got an override control, you can basically run the whole school from a single point." To save both time and money, the new wing was designed on the original footprint. "Using the original footprint wasn't really limiting," explains Nick Bevanda, partner in charge for CEI Architecture. "School designs haven't changed much over time. It's more about incorporating 21st-century learning principles – incorporating flexible spaces, social gathering areas and spaces for mobile tech use." Widened hallways are home to built-in benches by the windows, and glazed meeting rooms provide space for students to collaborate on group projects. Bevanda also points out the emphasis on natural light. The high volume and large windows of the library take their cues from that facility's predecessor, which had been converted from a gymnasium. Even the new gym is naturally lit with large clerestory windows that feature remotely controlled shades. The crowning feature of the school, however, is the theatre. Placed on the most conspicuous corner of the site, the 1948 original was the first theatre in Oliver and a beloved community facility. Yet that 600-seat theatre had woefully inadequate facilities and a too-small, introverted lobby. Faced with the limitation of retaining the theatre's original footprint, the solution was to make it a more intimate venue, says Robert Hamilton of DWD Theatre Design. Comfortably seating 400, "there's no bad seat in the house now; even in the back corner seat you're not far from the stage. For the performers it's not far to the people in the back row that they're trying to relate to." It's a facility that the whole community is sure to welcome. The new lobby is far larger and makes the most of its hilltop location with generous windows framing a view to the valley below. Moreover, state-of-the-art equipment, including a fully digital audio system, a video projection screen and all-LED stage lighting, outshines the average high school theatre outfit. And the darkstained oak stage floor is a clever nod to the local winery-based economy. The all-new Southern Okanagan Secondary School opened in September, and the theatre will be complete by the end of the year. The fire was certainly a setback, but it ultimately resulted in improved facilities that the school wouldn't have otherwise had. "The kids have been really amazed by this facility," says Bev Young, superintendent of schools for School District No. 53. "While many are sad to have lost the heritage school that they went to themselves, they see that this state-ofthe-art facility will be a great thing for the community." n Location 6140 Gala Street, Oliver, B.C. Owner/Developer School District No. 53 (Okanagan-Similkameen) Architects KMBR Architects Planners Inc. / CEI Architecture General Contractor Greyback Construction Ltd. Structural Consultant CWMM Consulting Engineers Ltd. Mechanical Consultant Stantec Consulting Ltd. Electrical Consultant Smith + Andersen Falcon Engineering Ltd. Landscape Architect Outland Design Landscape Architecture Theatre Consultant DWD Theatre Design + Consulting Inc. Total area 128,000 square feet Total project cost $51 million december 2013 /69 13-11-15 4:01 PM