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FEBRUA RY 2018 | 67 Ivor Dent School PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY EDMONTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Ivor Dent School by ROBIN BRUNET I n recent years, Alberta architects and builders have been obliged to follow strict programming guidelines, tem- plate designs, and firmly-controlled budgets in order to bring a host of new public schools on line. But for Kyle Auch, associate with Group2 Architecture Interior Design, creating the new Ivor Dent School for the Rundle neighbourhood northeast of Edmonton was an exception because it had to incorporate the needs of three different schools and their user groups in a facility that would be an amalga- mation of different templates. He and school administrators, Clark Builders, plus BR2 Architecture also encountered their fair share of intrigue, including the unexpected discovery of an abandoned mine on the construction site. The $14.5-million K-9 Ivor Dent replaces Rundle Elementary, R.J. Scott Elementary, and Lawton Junior High School. Terri Gosine, director of infra- structure, project management office at Edmonton Public Schools, says, "All three schools had reached the end of their functional life and were underutilized due to their close proximity to each other. In 2013, after extensive community con- sultation, it was decided to locate Ivor Dent in the playing field of Rundle, which in turn would be converted into a community support facility." That same year, Edmonton Public Schools brought in Group2 to develop Ivor Dent, but not as the architects of record, as had been the case in previous ing architects and BR2 Architecture was named the architect of record," says Auch. Although a core template design had been selected for Ivor Dent, it was soon determined that due to site constraints and community demographics, ideas from other templates would have to be incorporated as well. "For example, we moved the gym from the front of the building to the rear because a mono- lithic concrete mass didn't fit with the entry to a learning institution that was also going to accommodate a fair bit of community activity," explains Gosine. "We also shifted the library to where the gym used to be and changed it to be more of a learning area with lots of win- dows and movable components." Auch found the sheer volume of peo- ple he had to consult with bracing rather than daunting. "When undertaking the programming studies, there were 14 organizations that heavily influenced the existing schools, from seniors services to those organizing lunch programs," he says. "It was incredibly exciting to determine everyone's needs and adjust the school design accordingly." While the elementary and junior high school students would enjoy their own wings in Ivor Dent, "in areas such as the gym and learning commons we created plenty of spaces in which ele- mentary students could be exposed to junior high students for mentoring opportunities," says Auch. A light, soft colour palette was employed for the interior of the ele- mentary wing; clerestories in the central corridor ceilings would bring natural light into the building, and benches outside of the classrooms were designed as independent teaching spaces. "For the junior high wing the colour scheme was darker and more sophisticated," says Auch. "Natural light was still a big consideration, but we designed the breakout spaces to be a bit more private to accommodate the psychological needs of this age group – which had been determined thanks again to extensive consultation." Since the core of the school would be open to community use, a community gathering space was created in front of the library with glass doors that open to LOCATION 11010 32 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER Edmonton Public Schools ARCHITECTS Group2 Architecture Interior Design Ltd. (bridging architects) BR2 Architecture (architects of record) GENERAL CONTRACTOR Clark Builders STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Walters Chambers & Associates Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT ECCOM Consulting Inc. / Green Lantern LEED/ SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CONSULTANT Element Sustainable Design Consulting Inc. TOTAL SIZE 61,000 square feet TOTAL COST $14.5 million provide a large area after hours. In front of this, an oversize community kitchen was created to accommodate both stu- dent and community requirements. Steve Bushnell, senior partner at BR2 Architecture, is impressed that a relatively small facility was able to contain so many flexible learn- ing opportunities. "Ivor Dent has only 5,675 square metres of space, which is conservative compared to many other schools," he says. "And still, 21st- century learning concepts such as multi-purpose and flexible open areas combined with wide, inviting corridors can be found in both wings." The build- ing houses a permanent core of 550 students, while four modulars bring that number up to 650 if required. Bushnell goes on to note that site conditions also worked in the design's favour. "It contained a grade drop of about 30 inches, which through tiering the school eliminated the need for stairs at the front of the school, thus making the entrance even more accessible," he says. As with most new schools in Alberta, materials were selected for resiliency. "We used rubber flooring for the ancillary gym and linoleum flooring for the wings to keep the noise levels down," says Gosine, to which Auch adds, "Clark Builders used masonry, metal panel, and phenolic panels for the exterior cladding, the lat- ter material having the added feature of being graffiti-proof. These panels also sat proud of the masonry to create an interesting visual dynamic." Although the construction pro- cess was relatively uneventful, Gosine reports a minor delay due to the results of a geotechnical survey performed on site. "It discovered an old abandoned mine below where the new school would sit," she says. "Fortunately it was still in good shape, and there was enough ground between the top of the mine and the bottom of the deepest pile to continue excavation and con- struction as planned – but only after sensors were installed to monitor earth movement." With the successful opening of Ivor Dent in the fall of 2017, school officials hope more replacement schools will be able to copy this facility's consolidation of other learning institutions. "We've taken three schools that were unde- rutilized as well as wasting heat and electricity, and brought them to a new building that is very quickly going to pay for itself in terms of efficiencies of operations and energy," says Gosine. Auch concludes, "This project enjoyed the biggest benefit of being design build, meaning the owners retained the right people for the job who functioned as genuine team players. Ivor Dent was a memorable experience for us." A MANTECONPARTNERS.COM 905 648 6847 A PROUD PARTNER IN A GREENER FUTURE MOHAWK COLLEGE JOYCE CENTRE FOR PARTNERSHIP AND INNOVATION

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