JK-12

In 2009, +VG Architects was retained to continue the work of the ARC process the ALCDSB had began in 2006.

This included a Condition Assessment of the existing St. Peter Catholic Elementary School. +VG assessed the architectural feasibility of Final Recommendations 3 and 4 of the Accommodation Review Committee. The recommendations under review included the construction of a new St. Peter Catholic Elementary School on the site of the existing St. Paul Catholic Secondary School, as well as an addition to St. Paul Secondary School to accommodate Grade 7 & 8 students. +VG successfully facilitated a series of design meetings while being cognizant of the underlying tensions still present as a result of the many difficult decisions the committee had to make during the ARC process. Building a trust relationship with the committee first by acknowledging their difficult work to date and then focusing on the opportunities, was key to the success of the project.

The project has resulted in a reinvigorated education facility now known as the Quite West Catholic Campus. The existing secondary school building was added to, creating new specialized classrooms for fine arts, instrumental and vocal music, and fitness. The gymnasium was completely refurbished and seven regular classrooms were added to accommodate a change to a Grades 7 to 12 learning environment.

A new 1-storey, 25,000 square foot new elementary school is co-located on the site servicing a student population of 300 from Junior kindergarten to Grade 6. The two facilities work together and take advantage of the opportunity to share public spaces, such as two sports fields, two gymnasiums, and a chapel for special events and community activities. Even with the increased build-out, the project was able to maintain a wooded area at the south end of the property that both schools use to support environmental education programs.

The Warwick Academy, founded in 1662 is considered to be the longest continually operating school in the Western World, and is well known for its high standards of Academic Excellence.

Located on 22 acres in the heart of Bermuda, the school serves both Primary and Secondary School students, as well as an International Baccalaureate program of more than 100 students.

Over the years, and particularly, over the last half century, the school has been expanded through multiple phases of construction to provide additional athletic, arts, and academic facilities. These expansions have been typically undertaken in reaction to an immediate need with no long term Master Plan along with guiding principles for future facilities. The result is a building complex which lacks clear delineation between the various departments, complicated circulation with various floor levels that hamper accessibility, and no central focus or sense of arrival.

+VG Architects in association with local architects Botelho Wood Architects were commissioned by Warwick Academy to lead a design study to examine options to implement the Academy’s current expansion plans:

• New Learning Commons
• New secondary wing with eight new classrooms
• New International Baccalaureate centre (22,000 ft2)
• New Performing Arts Centre (16,000 ft2)
• New multi-purpose rooms for Primary and Secondary levels
• Improved parking and automobile circulation
• Improved pedestrian circulation
• New 12 unit residential development

Previous expansions at Warwick Academy have typically been undertaken in reaction to an immediate need, without the benefit of a long-term Master Plan. The +VG study provided guiding principles for future facilities, and recommendations to improve the existing campus, with better delineation between various departments, simplification of the circulation and enhanced accessibility. The study examines options to develop a central focus for the campus and create an appropriate sense of arrival at this remarkable institution.

The new Prince of Wales school is a state-of-the-art facility, with up-to-date classroom amenities for the students.

The design is based on the Provincial elementary education program, and a versatile “Town Square” concept. The new accessible, multi-use facility is integrated into the neighbourhood, permitting after-hours use by the community. Full-sized playfields were relocated in the location of the old school.

The architectural design is intentionally modern in style, intended to be a positive statement about urban revitalization in this older downtown neighborhood. The new school’s “warm and inviting character” is due to the contrast between distinctive modern features like the glass curtain wall and the antique-looking red-brown brick. The project re-used many historic stone artifacts from the original school.

Located in the heart of urban Hamilton, the design has been praised for its “out-of-the-box thinking and efficient site planning”. Prince of Wales elementary, in the shadow of famed Ivor Wynne Stadium, won the Award of Merit in the City of Hamilton’s 2009 Urban Design and Architecture Awards. Winners of the juried contest must excel in multiple areas:

• Address scale, materials, and building orientation within context
• Create a quality pedestrian environment
• Respect heritage
• Incorporate energy efficiency and sustainability
• Be well executed

The awards jury said this put an “important community use” on a “potentially difficult site.”