My truant school
My name is Charlie, I live in Rimouski. A few weeks ago, it was back to school, and I was looking forward to finding my school, my teachers and my friends. I have to tell you why I love school so much.
We're early this morning, so I'm taking my time. On the way, the leaves on the trees are almost all red and gold! I stuff my pockets with them. I'm sure my teacher will hang them on the wall in our collabo space between classes; or maybe we'll do a craft with them! I like to walk to school, bike to school, sometimes I even race with Cyril and Janie, but when we walk to school through the forest, I have time to chat with my parents, learn the names of the trees, flowers and some of the birds I see in the school gardens.
My school is really beautiful, there are flowers and trees everywhere, it looks like it grew in the forest, like in a story. I like to read a lot of stories, I read a lot at school because I can sit wherever I want: in the workshop, on the window seat or on the big steps outside. I have many places to read quietly, alone or with my friends.
Well, we're already there. I can see the big trees of the arboretum and the colorful courtyard through the entrance hall. The bell hasn't rung yet; I'm going to meet my friends in the alley under the trees, and show them the leaves I've collected.
I hope Dad won't pick me up too early tonight. I remember last year, the janitor and I drew a maze in the meadow and when we mowed it, we created paths and islands. Then, at the daycare, we play explorers like Jacques Cartier and Marco Polo!
Today we have a shared activity in the great hall, all classes get together to assemble a giant puzzle that we made in our learning communities. A map of the world to learn about the vegetables and plants that grow in other countries, we do this virtually through the robocube! We also go to the vegetable garden very often to teach. We planted seeds, and while waiting for them to grow, we work in the big kitchen to invent a recipe that we will make at home. I'm so excited to show grandma that I can cook vegetables from the garden, and to send pictures to Neeta, my aunt in India.
I love the big hall, especially in the morning because you can see the sun coming up. There is always plenty of light here, I can even see the sky! And when it rains, the rain garden fills up with water that slides down from the roof: it's like a big fountain! I can look at it as much as I want, well sheltered while I eat lunch.
I feel like I'm outside in my school all the time, it's like there are no walls! I can see the monarchs in the field as I walk down the steps, the clearing and the big oak tree from my classroom. There are also the little gardens between the classrooms, we call them the undergrowth. But this year my class is upstairs and we have a deck where I can see the whole forest. My teacher told us that one day we could add classrooms on the roof to accommodate new students. I would love that: we would have more friends playing around the watchtower!
The days go by too fast in my school, but before going to daycare and meeting my friends in the playground, there is physical education. Our teacher lets us go alone: we follow the colored paths that cross the school. He says that we are autonomous! I often come to the gym on weekends because I play basketball with my team on Saturdays; and Mom sometimes takes me to yoga on Sunday afternoons; she goes with our neighbor.
The bell rings! I have to put my stuff in my locker. Tonight we are lending our class to elderly people who are knitting colorful scarves, my teacher says that it is important to share, that it is learning to live together and to grow. I'm sure he's right.
I would like to share my truancy with all the other children of the world...
(Competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Stage 1:
This proposal has many merits that the jury wishes to highlight. Knowledge of the program is evident and the jury commends the sustainable development values that characterize this project. The proposal demonstrates a clear knowledge and school culture. The model gives flavor and articulation to the project.
The playful nature of the project, which offers multiple experiences, is an asset, as is the significant sensitivity shown in the proposal.
The site layout and entrance are welcoming. The spaces accessible to the community are interesting and the proximity to the neighborhood is appreciated. They should be retained, as should the spaces provided for the daycare, kitchen and dining room. The jury also appreciates the positioning of the gymnasium, which protects the outdoor courtyard space from prevailing southwest winds. The south courtyard with bleachers is well positioned. Quality is created outside and the enrichment of the outdoor space is greatly appreciated.
The courtyard is generous and the orientation and curvature of the roof are valued features. The impressive roof edges serve as a borderline courtyard, which is an advantage.
This proposal suggests a most pleasing human living environment. There is enough angulation to break up the monotony, it all becomes organic. The slight curve adds to the pleasure of walking with its opening to the south.
Recommendations
Implementation, architectural party and costs
The formalization of the roof will require a significant investment in money. The jury has reservations about the cost of construction, the drainage of water from the roof and the resistance to wind.
It will be necessary to maintain the courtyard aspect of the roofs, but to ensure a better fit between the roofs and what they cover, in a more measured way.
The direction of water flow from the roofs to the play areas was also noted by the jury, who wondered about the seasonal impact (ice, snow, black ice). In the same spirit, the capacity of the rain basin so close to the reception area is questioned.
Small gardens, outdoor terraces between classrooms, organized as learning communities are desirable, but they are oriented to the northeast. This aspect should be reviewed to ensure maximum comfort for users.
Amenities
The equity between classrooms should also be reviewed so that each can enjoy a quality of natural light. The jury is concerned that all classes converge easily on the courtyard.
A series of questions were posed by the jury:
Can a small kitchen be added for the preschool classes? Could the two-story solution for the dining areas be resolved? Their positioning on the same floor will facilitate the management of the lunch hour. Finally, with regard to the preschool and elementary school locker rooms, there seems to be an inversion that should be reviewed.
Stage 2:
The jury is enamored with this proposal, which demonstrates a strong sensitivity to school and community culture. The playfulness that offers multiple experiences is an asset, even if the graphic treatment is not unanimous. This proposal suggests a pleasant and welcoming environment. The jury appreciates the proposed sequence from the city to the front door, which creates welcoming connections to the neighborhood. The jury notes the constant relationship between the interior and exterior in this proposal, which gives the impression of being part of the landscape. The integration of the proposal with the site and its topography provides rich living spaces. The different collaborative spaces proposed benefit from a privileged view of the forest. On one side, the proposal seems to join the forest, while on the other, it opens towards the field and the sky, in an impulse towards infinity. The relationship to the landscape shows a great sensitivity and understanding of the site. Moreover, the building seems to marry the landscape: the landscape is in the school and the school is in the landscape. The unifying image of a community under a large roof is evocative and appreciated by the jury. The sense of community in the proposal, as a strong conceptual element, is well articulated in a variety of spaces. The jury can imagine the students taking over the heart of the project and the other spaces in a variety of scales that can be appropriated. Finally, the jury emphasizes the team's qualitative approach that puts the child at the center of its concerns in order to create a school where memories can be cultivated.
In addition, the jury appreciates the following:
+ The generosity and humanism of the proposal.
+ The emphasis on community and environment.
+ The welcoming plaza, bordered by the gymnasium, which creates a strong connection to the neighborhood.
+ The experience of the student's journey is well understood; the routes allow for a fluidity of movement.
+ The configuration of the space allows for the harmonious distribution of people in small gatherings.
+ The possibility of future expansion is considered.
+ The learning community configurations are very well integrated.
+ The large roof that acts as a courtyard and allows for outdoor living in spite of the weather.
+ The integration into the landscape with the courtyard that becomes an agora.
However, the jury has reservations about the following aspects:
+ The modes of representation of the construction in relation to the advanced atmospheres make it difficult to understand the material intentions.
+ The very complex shape of the roofs and their impact on water flow and snow accumulation.
+ The strategy of the locker rooms, as to the management of dry and wet spaces.
+ The lack of control and calm that emanates from the graphic and material expression.
+ The similarity with some Western Canadian schools in the organization of the plan and the design of the roofs, which does not discredit the proposal.
+ The greenhouse, which is not a programmatic element necessarily desired by the school community.
+ The estimated area and cost overruns in relation to the program, which can be corrected with a rationalization effort.
Recommendations to the winner
First, the jury would like to emphasize that particular attention should be paid to maintaining the following elements during the development of the project:
+ The strong connection between the interior and exterior.
+ The inviting entrance from the street.
+ The close relationship between the kitchen and the vegetable garden.
+ The outdoor terraces on both the ground and upper floors.
+ Sharing with the community, which is facilitated by elements such as partner storage in the gym.
+ Retractable partitions between classrooms.
+ Access to the outdoors from the motor development room.
+ The transparency of the entrance hall forming the node between the sports areas and the rest of the school.
+ The overhanging roofs that form interesting courtyards.
+ The courtyard protected from the prevailing winds.
In order to ensure the proper development of the project, the following recommendations are made to the winner:
+ Base the sustainability approach on optimizing the five overarching elements: energy, materials, landscape, water, and construction tools/processes.
+ Explore the possibilities of integrating a courtyard for outdoor dining.
+ Review the bus and parent drop-off area, either by integrating it into the site or by working with the City to determine the best strategy, taking into account the financial and social acceptability of the project in the neighbourhood.
+ Increase the volume of the airlock between the sports complex and the school, a central node where there will be a large daily flow, and increase its transparency towards the courtyard.
+ Rationalize the roofs whose morphology is still complex and partly unresolved.
+ Optimize the plans to match the requirements of the program, in terms of surface area and available budget.
+ Review the design and ambience of the interior and exterior spaces, whose general expression is considered overloaded. In order to avoid over-stimulation of the senses, create areas with a calmer atmosphere, conducive to the student's well-being.
+ Review the logic of the locker rooms with the school environment so that their organization respects the orientations defined in the 12 must-haves of Lab-École as well as the project program. In this way, the locker rooms should be located in a logical path between the courtyard and the classrooms, so as to reduce wet areas in the circulation. In addition, the preschool locker rooms should be separate from the school locker rooms.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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