The new elementary school of Boischatel was built on the old municipal baseball field, beside the soccer field, and is surrounded by a wonderful wooden area. The building regroups 12 classrooms, two kindergartens, a daycare, a library, a computer laboratory, a few administrative offices, and a gymnasium designed to be doubled, if needed. The steel structure of this two-story school was conceived to receive 12 more classrooms and an extension of the gymnasium. The school was designed to allow access to the gymnasium (and its services) to the citizens of the municipality after the working and teaching hours. The proximity of the school within the wooden area and its creek creates an inspiring environment for the students and the staff, giving the impression of a “treehouse/classroom.”
The school was designed according to the principles of sustainable development. In fact, the building’s footprint is as minimal as it can be. Every room along its perimeter has operable windows that allow a fresh breeze to get in to cool the spaces, if needed. The building includes a cooling and heating geothermic system, reducing its energy cost when facing a hot summer day or a cold one in winter and has a solar wall that helps preheat the air.
Consortium with Onico Architecture
Photos: Stéphane Groleau (stephanegroleau.com) and Dave Tremblay
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