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OCTOBER 2015 | 99 Royal Bay Secondary School and Performing Arts Centre RENDERINGS COURTESY HCMA ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN Royal Bay Secondary School and Performing Arts Centre BY LAURIE JONES F or the 800 students, teachers and administration staff at the Royal Bay Secondary School in Colwood, B.C., September 8 was a special day. After years of lobbying and multiple discus- sions with government financial regu- lators, Sooke School District #62 finally got its wish to have a new school in a newly built community. "We previously had one large school, Belmont Secondar y, t hat ser v iced 2,000 students throughout the dis- trict in grades 10, 11 and 12," says Jim Cambridge, superintendent for School District #62. "With the new funding we were able to replace the Belmont school in Langford and get a second second- ary school in a brand new community in Colwood. Previously, our grade nine students were incorporated into mid- dle schools, but now they will be mov- ing to high school. It took 18 months to build the project and the end result is just amazing." The LEED Gold certified Royal Bay Secondary School is uniquely laid out with a lot of project space giving stu- dents several options for learning, says Cambridge. The academic wing of the school is three-storeys high and the arts, athletics and shop areas are designed with two storeys, creating larger volume spaces. "All the academic classrooms on the second and third floor have a spectacular ocean view of Royal Bay with f loor-to-ceiling win- dows," says Cambridge. "With all the natural light coming into the school there is a real sense of energy and from an outside view, people can see what is going on inside the classrooms." The use of sliding glass doors and glass garage doors are prevalent in the school. "We have three double class- rooms where the dividing doors open up to create one big space," Cambridge says. "The learning commons, formerly called the library, has sliding glass doors or garage doors that open up. The dance studios and the choral room all have half-glass sliding garage doors that go to the outside, usually right to a hard surface. The band room has a sliding glass door that opens to the outside so they can put on concerts without hav- ing to lug all of the equipment outside." A stand-out addition to the school is the rooftop basketball court, complete with seating for fair-weather games and room for exercise equipment like spin bikes. Karen Marler, principal architect at HCMA Architecture + Design says the school's design incorporated comments from a number of groups. "In order to get a true sense of what was needed for the school, I met with teachers from the old Belmont school and the new principal to discuss their vision and ideas, and to get feedback on our designs," she says. "Royal Bay was delivered through a design- build competition process. We teamed with a contractor, DGS Construction. The design brief and technical require- ments we were required to follow were prepared by the school district." Marler adds that the flow of the build- ing is easily laid out: "The wayfinding in the school is almost intuitive. On the main floor is the neighbourhood learning com- mons, which is being programmed by the West Shore Parks & Recreation. Also on this floor are the administration offices, gymnasium and library, with the the- atre visible from off the front entry." The theatre at Royal Bay Secondary will not only be used for student performances, it will also be home to community the- atre groups. DWD Theatre Design + Consulting assisted HCMA Architecture + Design in the theatre planning. The theatre has an orchestra pit and catwalk for lighting adjustments. Another unique aspect of the school is the full commercial kitchen, also located on the first floor. "We have career prep programs in all of our high schools, but the biggest one will be the culinary arts program at Royal Bay," says Cambridge. "This is geared for students who want to become Red Seal chefs and cooks. They would earn certification, go through an apprenticeship and do level one training at the school. The students will be using state-of-the-art equipment and a hos- pitality room so they can learn how to serve, and they will also learn the busi- ness end of a restaurant operation." He adds the school will have a garden out- side to grow herbs and fresh vegetables for the kitchen program. Wendy Hobbs, chairperson of the school board and trustee for 20 years, says the Royal Bay Secondary school is a welcome addition to the community. "The Board, along with the municipal- ity and parents, worked hard over the years lobbying the government to pro- vide this new learning space for stu- dents," she says. "I think it is going to draw a lot of kids from outlying areas because the school has state-of-the-art facilities, with a dance academy and athletics programs that will create a great experience. We are very pleased with the design of the school as it will accommodate students for the next 50 years. All of the trustees are ecstatic about the new school opening, and per- sonally, I'm looking forward to going to Royal Bay's culinary arts dining room for lunch then sitting on the rooftop in nice weather." A LOCATION 3500 Ryder Hesjedal Way, Colwood, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER Sooke School District #62 OWNER'S AGENT Alkins Project Services Inc. ARCHITECT HCMA Architecture + Design GENERAL CONTRACTOR DGS Construction STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Bush, Bohlman & Partners MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Rocky Point Engineering Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT NRS Engineering Ltd. CIVIL CONSULTANT Hunter Laird Engineering / Focus / WSP LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Viewpoint Landscape Architects THEATRE CONSULTANT DWD Theatre Design + Consulting Inc. TOTAL SIZE 118,500 square feet TOTAL COST $35.5 million

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