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École Centennial School and All Saints Catholic School by Susan Pederson IMAGES COURTESY STANTEC T he coming together of Chinook School Division and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division was borne not of tradition, but instead out of a history of co-operation and creativity. Swift Current's École Centennial School and All Saints Catholic School will begin their new life together this fall, solidifying a bond that was fre- quently tested over the past two years, under the weight of disjointed funding, an aggressive construction timeline and frightening acts of nature. "Chinook School Division and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division have a long and successful history of co-opera- tion in the provision of educational ser- vices to the students of Swift Current and the immediate surrounding area," says Rod Quintin, CFO for the Chinook School Division. "That spirit of co-oper- ation provided a strong foundation for a new and exciting joint school venture in Swift Current." The conjoined schools are located in Swift Current's Saskatchewan Val- ley subdivision, north of the Cypress Regional Hospital, as part of the com- munity's Integrated Facility project, in partnership with the City of Swift Current and Cypress Health Region. "Initially the Holy Trinity project was approved independently a year prior to the Chinook approval," explains Quin- tin. "The Holy Trinity Board deserves credit for being patient, in waiting for Chinook to work through the processes with the Ministry of Education that would subsequently support funding of a joint school." Two separate architectural firms were also required to work closely together in order to bring the project to life and manage construction. S t a n t e c A r c h i t e c t u r e 's B r on Nurkowski, principle in charge and architect on record for All Saints says, "It was like being told 'you guys have to play together' when we had two very different ways of doing things. It required some time to build trust and to learn how to dance together." And many people were invited to that dance. "JC Kenyon Engineering collaborated with both design teams to achieve one common structural system throughout. We utilized similar construction details at both schools," says Eleah Gallagher, structural engineer with J.C. Kenyon Engineering Inc. "Due to the large size of this building, an expansion joint was required. Structurally, this building is similar to having two buildings right up against one another, as the expan- sion joint occurs at both the foundation and superstructure. The expansion joint was located between the two schools, so, not only did it break up the building structurally, but it provided a clear line for each team to design up to. The project also features some unique design features for a school, such as windows in the gymnasiums and a coloured glass windows on the exterior walls. "I really have to hand it to the archi- tects and designers," says project manager Harley Friesen of Westridge Construction Ltd. "Sometimes when I look at the colours people propose, I don't think it will work. But when it all comes together, it works very well. It's a gift I don't have to be able to see that completed vision. The gymnasiums also feature some very dramatic colours." The roof in the auxiliary gym slopes up along the diagonal. "To achieve this desired slope a deep custom truss was designed by JC Kenyon, using square hollow structure section members to clear span the 22 metres," adds Galla- gher. "There were numerous different roof heights, large windows throughout, and many non-orthogonal walls. These items made for a complex structural lay- out and an intricate lateral force resist- ing system." Many spaces are shared, such as the library; practical and applied arts areas; and a well-developed band room. "Several synergies have been identified through the course of this project and will result in many 'firsts' in the learn- ing community," said Louis Aussant, principal architect with aodbt Archi- tecture + Interior Design, in a previous news release. "Together, we are creating not just adjacent schools but rather an integrated learning environment where both school divisions have their individ- ual identity while sharing many spaces." There were moments when some thought that the project might go up in flames – quite literally. A grassfire on the summer of 2013 licked danger- ously close at the school's heels. "I told my assistant, 'I have shown you how to build it, so if the school burns down, you can be in charge of building the replace- ment school,'" Friesen laughs. "There was a shelter belt just out- side the bussing area. There are two full rows of trees, and the first row is all dead now," explains Carol Chernick- Smith, project manager. Sparks could have flown on many lev- els had Chernick-Smith not been called in to manage the project. "There were lots of dynamics that were very new to some people. There are big mechani- cal systems, two electrical teams, two architects. The fact that I was an inde- pendent project manager represent- ing both sides was key. Kudos goes to both sides, who rose up to the level of creativity after basically being forced to work together, especially under this construction schedule. It was a push but the contractor was excellent." n LOCATION 2220 Woodrow Lloyd Place, Swift Current, Saskatchewan OWNER/DEVELOPER Holy Trinity Catholic School Division and Chinook School Division PROJECT MANAGER ConBrio Consulting Services Inc. ARCHITECTS aodbt architecture + interior design / Stantec Architecture Ltd. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Westridge Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT J.C. Kenyon Engineering Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT MacPherson Engineering Inc. / Stantec Consulting Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Ritenburg & Associates Ltd. / Stantec Consulting Ltd. TOTAL AREA 62,785 square feet TOTAL COST $50.9 million AUGUST 2014 /99 École Centennial School and All Saints Catholic School