Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/755184
DECEMBER 2016 | 75 École South Pointe School RENDERINGS COURTESY STANTEC ARCHITECTURE LTD. École South Pointe School by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI B uilding a flagship school and the first public building in a brand new community is no easy feat. The team involved not only have the responsibility for setting the standard of future schools and public buildings in the region, but must consider the needs of the community . . .not just today, but 10, 20, or 30 years into the future. Possibly even more challenging is trying to predict what that future community will look like. Approved by the government of Manitoba in 2005, the Winnipeg suburb of Waverley West is being constructed over a 20-year period. When complete, it will feature six precincts and a projected population of 40,000 residents. Waverley West includes the South Pointe neighbourhood where the new kindergarten to Grade 8 dual- track École South Pointe School is located. The school will be the first one of five in the area, explains Ted Fransen, superintendent with Pembina Trails School Division. Following the City's rejection of the division's appeal to permit a bus lane and more off-street parking at École R.G.H. Bonnycastle School in September 2014, Fransen says the division applied to up the capacity of South Pointe from 600 to 800 and add eight additional classrooms. It was decided that the school would be better located on a 8.8- acre parcel of land to the south of the original site, which was rectangular in shape and "more conducive to good design," explains John Karras, assistant superintendent. As is common in the region, drainage was one of the first considerations. Because South Pointe is located away from the rivers, a series of retention ponds were designed and built as part of the neighbourhood plan that were made to look like natural bodies of water surrounding the site. When it came to the design of the LEED Gold building there was extensive input from a number of stakeholders to ensure the school would be built for the long-term. "The design process was IDP and therefore very inclusive," explains Karras. Using a design philosophy based on four pillars (one school, one community; environmental stewardship; connections and connectedness; and learning/discovery), Stantec Architecture was able to develop a series of physical manifestations for the school that drew inspiration from the community, its location and that would promote 21st-century teaching and learning practices. For the exterior of the two-storey rectangular building the notions of connectedness and foresight is carried through right down to the materials chosen. "The building is made up of a series of rectangular blocks that make the most effective use of the space. The large sections are broken up visually with the use of exterior cladding, which is a combination of dark brick and local Tyndall stone that uses various textures and colours to provide depth and contrast," adds Karras. "The longevity of a brick design ensures the facility will be a long- term anchor to the community," adds Dan Bickerton, project manager at Penn-Co Construction Canada. Also of particular note is the attention to detail in the landscape, which again reflects this notion of connectedness. "Pembina Trails, Stantec, Penn-Co and HTFC Planning & Design are working hard at bringing learning outside. Several outdoor design features are being added to engage and enhance the students' experience," says Bickerton. Aileen Zubriski from HTFC Planning & Design explains that the idea behind the landscape is "to try to incorporate the different biomes and geological processes of Manitoba." Upon approaching the school you notice a sidewalk that playfully mimics a stream and carries you from the bus lane to the front door. "We actually took an aerial photo of the Hayes River and based the pathway off of that," explains Zubriski. "At the front of the school we have a riverbed; a riparian forest with alluvial fans that shows the way water moves around islands. As you continue around the school to the east there is an orchard with a large wooden farmyard table for the kids to sit at. This is located underneath an arbor and next to a little library, which is shaped like a grain elevator." To the north-west side of the site, beside the soccer fields, the landscaping represents an Aspen Parkland with rolling hills and large broadleaf trees. Behind the school lies the active play area, which represents the Precambrian Shield and the Boreal Forest. "We have large igneous granite rocks embedded in the landscape, with pine trees, poplar and spruce that act as a windbreak," says Zubriski. It is here where, imperceptible to the naked eye, heat is being extracted from the earth beneath and pumped via several kilometres of pipe into the building. "Due to the soil conditions we were able to opt for geothermal energy," explains Karras. "There is enough heat deferential in the winter time from the soil that we will be using that as the primary source of heat for the building." This innovative approach and focus on energy efficiency is something that is evident throughout this project; whether that's the small details like LED lights, the clever placement of fenestration inside and out, or the living wall feature. Head back round to the main entrance and into the atrium and light streams into the building from every angle. "This area is characterized by a permeable, interconnected two- storey volume filled with natural daylight and warm wood panelling," says Jeff Moroz from Stantec. In fact, according to Karras, no matter where you stand in the building, the occupant has access to natural light. The main atrium, also known as Prairie Commons, provides unobstructed sightlines into every aspect of life and learning within. To the left are classrooms and a school office that features full glass windows, and to the right, as you look down a hallway, you wander past a music room and onto the learning commons that features bifold glass doors that can open up entirely, helping to bring all elements of the school together. A large stairway from the atrium takes you up to the art room where interior windows overlook the heart of the building, and it is here where you find the 16-foot-long by nine- foot-high living wall that offers not only a wonderful backdrop but promotes health, well being and that connectedness to the outdoors. To further emphasize this link the team opted for interior colours that would reflect the beauty of the province. "Here equality and democracy within age, grade, language and aptitude is expressed by a neutral palette accentuated by intense and saturated feature colours," says Kristie Spencer, interior design at Stantec, to which Karras adds, "the choice of colours was chosen to match the outside environment with light green to match the spring foliage, shades of yellow and orange that match the sky from sunrise and sunsets, and shades of blue as accent colours in bulkheads that approximates the sky." For the mechanical and electrical systems, Stantec installed in-floor radiant heating in the slabs and displacement ventilation and chilled beams. "Electrically, we are primarily LED lighting, and occupancy sensors and light sensors were specified to reduce energy consumption," adds Moroz. As the team gets ready for École South Pointe School's 2017 opening, project manager Holly Sommers reflects: "For me, the one thing that truly stands out about this project is innovation. Whether it is technology, the environmental focus or the future- focus, the team really thought outside the box to provide the community with a school they can truly be proud of." A LOCATION 615 Kirkbridge Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba OWNER/DEVELOPER Pembina Trails School Division ARCHITECT/INTERIOR DESIGN Stantec Architecture Ltd. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Penn-Co Construction Inc. CIVIL/STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL/LEED CONSULTANT Stantec Consulting Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT HTFC Planning & Design TOTAL SIZE 88,802 square feet TOTAL COST $30 million