Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/734400
OCTOBER 2016 | 91 Rundle College Primary/Elementary School PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CANA MANAGEMENT LTD. & DIALOG Rundle College Primary/Elementary School by ROBIN BRUNET E legant simplicity is the best way to describe the appearance and function of the new Rundle College Primary/Elementary School – a two- storey facility located on the Rundle campus in southwest Calgary. Strikingly slender to match the dimensions of its site and to best accommodate program requirements, the school is clad in brick (resembling the cladding of Rundle's nearby high school), while grey metal panels above each entrance help break up the facade and burgundy canopies add a stylistic flair. Inside, instead of wings, a 150-metre-long corridor on each level serves as the spine of the building and accommodates kindergarten to Grade 3 classrooms (on the upper level) and Grades 4 to 6 (ground level). As with the best learning facilities, traditional spaces serve a dual purpose, ie: the great hall, which is instantly identifiable from the outside by an uninterrupted eight-metre-long stretch of floor-to-ceiling glazing, contains tools for educators and is connected to a boardwalk, which leads to nearby woodlands; an ideal sciences learning environment. For these and other reasons, the new facility more than lives up to Rundle's ongoing commitment to pair tradition with innovation – something Neal Philipsen, intern architect for Dialog, suspects was achieved at least partly due to Rundle's status as a private school. "The Rundle stakeholders were open to new ideas and evolving their vision, whereas designs for public schools can be fairly rigid," he says. Jason Rogers, headmaster, Rundle College Society, says it was vital to create a facility that would bring together students in schools that are scattered throughout the Calgary area. "Many of these buildings had been constructed in the 1950s and '60s, and as far back as 10 years ago we had the notion to create a proper campus. Eventually, after getting all the stakeholders on board and securing financing, we were able to develop 20 acres of rural land on the outskirts of the city." Rogers adds, "we wanted a spectacular looking school to reflect our excellence in teaching," so in 2013 when Dialog sought input from stakeholders, user groups and even students, a variety of approaches were taken, one being especially memorable to Philipsen: "As part of our process, we spread a variety of images on a table and asked participants to choose the ones that exemplified their vision for the new school," he says. "One time, one identifier selected an image of a microchip representing evolving technologies, which drove discussion on designing space for 3D printers." Another photo, of a family, was chosen because the new school would be an all-inclusive learning community rather than an antiseptic institution. "And this inspired us to provide far more communal spaces than is the norm," says Philipsen. "It also inspired us to design learning commons with additional space for parent gatherings and presentations." Dialog used an old-fashioned foam and balsa wood modelling process to advance the design. "This way the stakeholders could physically move around components, add and subtract, and clearly understand our design intent for the project," says Philipsen. From this interplay came the idea of the two main corridors being a unifying factor of the entire facility, with colours, textures and other components providing the subtle impression of neighbourhood streets instead of monolithic access ways. "The corridors are punctuated by breakout spaces, skylights and angles," says Philipsen, adding that glazing on the lower corridor looks onto woodland, while the upper corridor offers mountain views. Dialog designed student cubbies instead of traditional lockers, to be located inside the classrooms. "Birch was extensively used for the cubbies, the teacher stations and as panelling in the corridors, to impart a sense of warmth," says Philipsen. In the great hall, glulam beams would provide a welcoming sense of grandeur, enhanced by the hall being situated not directly at the entrance but further in, beyond the reception threshold. "That way, as people walked past the lower- height reception and into the great hall, it would be like the parting of theatre curtains," says Philipsen. Because the new school was situated beside a hill, Dialog was obliged to design a massive retaining wall, which structural engineer Ralph Hildenbrandt describes as "cast-in-place exposed concrete and 500-millimetre thick at the structural steel base." Construction of the school began in March of 2015, and Kyle Grutterink, construction manager for CANA Management Ltd., reports no undue problems in the process. "The simplicity of design made our job easier in that we were able to work sequentially from one end of the building to the other, from south to north, for all scopes from structural steel and deck to roofing and interior finishes." At peak, about 130 tradespeople worked to ensure that the $20-million project was delivered on time and on budget. Grutterink adds, "The term may be overused, but this was truly a team effort, and the Rundle people were fantastic to work with: they never created any tension despite the normal challenges that occur on a jobsite." Philipsen agrees: "The spirit of collaboration was consistent and unfailing." As of August, the new Rundle College Primary Elementary School was 95 percent complete, as were the landscaping features provided by Carson McCulloch Associates Ltd. Jason Rogers says, "We enjoyed a great relationship with Dialog, CANA and the trades, and we sustained a tremendous positive momentum that was enhanced by weekly meetings. We're very proud of the final result: from design to build, this project has been four years in the making, and it took only 400 days to construct – which is a remarkable achievement for something so unique." A LOCATION 7615 17th Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER Rundle College Society ARCHITECT/ STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT DIALOG CONSTRUCTION MANAGER CANA Management Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Carson McCulloch Associates Ltd. TOTAL SIZE 63,000 square feet TOTAL COST $20 million 2:56 PM 1:07 PM