Elementary school in 1964: in search of an equation between standard plans and the wager of industrialization
Organized by the government of Quebec, the "provincial architecture competition for elementary school" was launched in the midst of the "quiet revolution", under the watchful eye of the religious authorities hitherto in charge of education. Traditional schools had to make way for new spatial organizations and a vast educational project began with the publication of the now famous "Parent Report" (1964). What is felt today as the sad memory of the so-called "prefabricated" places of education is probably not what the organizers had foreseen in terms of the renewal of school architecture. The fact remains that the analysis of the jury report shows the disproportionate importance of two criteria that converged on the same principle: identifying new standard plans and verifying that they could accommodate the industrialization of construction.
Nearly sixty years after its publication, the "Parent Report" is today a historical document, sometimes obsolete. However, at the time of its publication, the report directed by Alphonse-Marie Parent, in 5 volumes of nearly 1500 pages, was published by the Royal Commission on Education between 1963 and 1964 and was a milestone in the "quiet revolution" in Quebec. It proposed, no more and no less, the creation of a Ministry of Education, compulsory schooling until the age of 16, the creation of "CEGEPs" and, in general, the democratization of higher education. In other words, we are moving from religious education to education for all, as Claude Corbo, former rector of the Université du Québec à Montréal, wrote in 2002.
It is in this vast educational site in Quebec that the "provincial architecture competition for elementary schools" was organized as early as 1964. Its goal was to propose new concepts for elementary schools and was looking for "model plans". The program - which will appear summary in terms of contemporary "functional and technical programs" (FTP) - included: twelve classrooms, including one kindergarten class, a library, a dining room, a gathering space as well as changing rooms and staff quarters. The clientelism that the academic authorities are sometimes criticized for was already included in the "list of premises": "Immediate environment: Taking into account the different clienteles: schoolchildren, faculty and the general public. Provide for each of these clienteles to have access to the school either on foot or in motor vehicles. »
Chaired by the architect Jean Damphouse, the jury was composed of the architects Raymond Affleck, Jean Paul Carlhian, Alfred Roth, Victor Prus, and the "designer" (sic in the publications) François Lamy. It should be noted that the jury did not include an expert in education or a representative of the school milieu, but was composed of an industrial designer and five architects, including the famous Alfred Roth, considered the Swiss expert for having contributed to the revival of educational architecture in the 1950s. Assistant to Le Corbusier and then collaborator of Marcel Breuer, representative of the "Neues Bauen" movement, the modernist "new objectivity", Alfred Roth settled in Zurich and worked regularly with Alvar Aalto.
In other words, the program of the 1964 "Canadian" competition must have seemed elementary to the Swiss modernist. It was asked to take into account the immediate environment, without specifying which one, and three types of classrooms were distinguished according to whether they accommodated 30, 33 or 35 students. It was suggested, for example, that for classrooms of 35 students, during a teaching period, students would be required to use three different methods of work: work in homogeneous groups, work in sub-groups for research, and individual work for further training.
Equipped with such pedagogical refinement, the jury selected 14 projects, according to particularly deterministic criteria, including those of Melvin Charney, Jean Michaud, from the Rosen, Caruso, Vecsei consortium and the Ouellet, Reeves, Guité, Alain consortium. The description of the fourteen projects and the jury's comments appeared in the April 1965 issue of Architecture-Bâtiment-Construction magazine, and while black and white printed graphic documents are sometimes difficult to read today, the dualism of the jury's comments is clearly displayed in two columns of lapidary statements listing the "pros" and "cons".
For one project, the jury emphasized that "its universal character is suitable for possible prefabrication" because its "plan is clear and well-disciplined", for another, that it "lends itself to expansion" or that "the plan is well organized", that the "project lends itself to expansion possibilities" or that the "good natural lighting of the classrooms by means of skylights is well designed". Melvin Charney's project is credited as an "interesting prefabrication proposal" whose fire stairs are described as "pretentious". The "difference in levels between the cafeteria and the common room" of the beautiful modernist project by St-Gelais, Tremblay and Tremblay is deplored, while the extreme refinement of the project by Rosen, Caruso, Vecsei, a subtle and skillful mix of borrowings from the architectures of Louis Kahn and Aldo Van Eyck, is considered a "project well studied in all its aspects" but whose "abundance of exterior walls and excess circulation surfaces" leads to fears of "high construction costs".
The comparative publication of the competition results in April 1965, in the only specialized Quebec magazine at the time, Architecture - Bâtiment - Construction, had a great impact on the imagination of architects for more than a decade, with sometimes questionable results.
There were only a few competitions in the field of education in Canada in the 1960s and 1970s, mainly for universities, and it was not until the late 1980s and especially the 1990s that the aging building stock required new consultations and reflections. These were strongly encouraged, this time, by the numerous studies, mainly sociological, carried out in particular in the Swiss and French contexts. However, in a characteristic way and contrary to the importance of competitions dedicated to school buildings in all European countries, one can legitimately be surprised that schools are not considered as architectural issues in North America.
Jean-Pierre Chupin
The Provincial Architectural Competition for Elementary Schools was designed to offer twelve-class school concepts with kindergarten services included. The design had to take into account the different users of the school: the schoolchildren, the faculty and the public.
A) Immediate environment
Take into account the different users: the schoolchildren, the faculty and the public in general. Provide access to the school either by foot or by motor vehicles to each of these users.
Except for the arrival in the morning and evening departures when the groups are of the order of 360, at any other time of the day, the groups are of the order of 120 pupils.
B) Educational sector
4 rooms of 30 students, from 650 to 700 sq. feet.
These premises will accommodate the students of the first cycle, that is to say the children of 1st and 2nd year whose age varies between 5 and 7 years.
Teachers will generally seek to place their group in such situations that they can acquire through a personal or collective observation the knowledge required in the program. The student will also have to become familiar with visual arts, singing and music. These rooms should preferably be on the ground floor.
4 rooms of 33 students, from 650 to 700 sq. feet.
These premises will accommodate the students of the 2nd cycle, that is to say the children of 3rd and 4th year whose age varies between 7 and 9 years. These groups of students will generally be under the immediate direction of a full professor who will teach them the core subjects of the program, namely languages, religion and arithmetics.
For some subjects, such as arts and second language, these groups will benefit from teaching by specialized teachers and sometimes in specialized areas (Bibliothèque polyvalente).
During a teaching period, students are expected to participate as a homogeneous group or as sub-groups. Occasionally, individual work periods will be mandatory. The incumbents will try as much as possible to place their group in situations such that they can acquire, by personal or collective observation inside or outside, the knowledge required for the program.
These rooms can be on the ground floor or upstairs.
3 rooms of 35 students, from 650 to 700 sq. feet.
These premises will accommodate the students of the 3rd cycle, that is to say the children of 5th and 6th year. If necessary a 4th group would use as regular local, the library.
It should be noted that the age of these children varies between 9 and 11 years.
These groups of students will be under the responsibility of a teacher specialized in one or two of the subjects in the program. This cycle will be able to form teams to share the teaching of the program as a whole. These groups will make great use of the special premises (multipurpose library and cafeteria) for all the subjects that will lend themselves to it, be it languages, arts, history, geography, etc.
During a teaching period, these students are expected to use three different methods of work: homogeneous group work, sub-group work for research, and individual work for development. The incumbent will try as much as possible to place the students in situations such that they can acquire, through personal or collective experimentation inside and especially outside, the knowledge required in the program.
These rooms must be located in such a way that communications with the multipurpose library are as easy as possible.
Library, 35 students, 800 to 900 sq. feet.
This room, in addition to serving graduating students in the same way as the rooms that are appropriate for them, will contain the central book reserve for the entire school. It will also have to be set up as a multi-purpose room and can be used by any of the 11 groups of students mentioned above in order to enrich the teaching, for example, by means of animated screenings or musical auditions.
Kindergarten, 25 students, 1,000 to 1,100 sq. feet.
Children aged 4 and 5 who come to kindergarten have a huge need move about and be active. This is why the program includes a wide range of body and sensory activities, motor and intellectual, aesthetic and social. These activities are either individual or collective, free or suggested, but they operate in a climate in which all rigidity is excluded. The child must live there. Kindergarten will be located on the ground floor and as isolated as possible. Orientation must ensure the greatest possible sun, while avoiding glare. The furnishings must take into account the scale of the children who live in this room.
In addition to access from the outside through a small vestibule, the kindergarten must have communication with the whole school, mainly for staff use.
In addition, the kindergarten will have access to a locker room with a capacity of 25, and a storage area of about 100 sq. feet.
A washroom must be adjacent to the class.
C) Common or para-academic spaces
Group Room (Recreation, 120 students, 2,500 to 3,800 sq. feet.
This room, which sometimes allows to group the whole student community of the school, will be used mainly for short breaks for free games.
In addition, each group of students may be required to use it for physical education or other directed activities, such as singing, music, dance.
This room will preferably be on the ground floor and the height of the ceiling will have to be determined according to logic.
Teacher's quarters, adjoining services including 14 people, 350 to 400 sq. feet.
These rooms for the exclusive use of the teachers must include a lounge for relaxation, a small kitchenette, a cloakroom and appropriate washrooms.
These premises should be located close to the administrative premises and in particular the director's office.
Dining room, 120 students, 1,000 to 1,200 sq. feet.
This room will serve in turn to the students of the three cycles. In addition to serving mainly lunch, this room can be used for all kinds of activities such as art plastic, group teaching, projection room and others. This room must be adjacent to the lobby.
Clinic, 140 to 150 sq. feet.
This room should be considered as the heart of the school and in addition to having as direct a communication as possible with the outside, the students, of this room, should be able to reach directly the bathroom, the cafeteria, and, as quickly as possible, to their classroom.
(From competition program)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Concours provincial d'Architecture pour Écoles primaires, Architecture-Bâtiment-Construction, 1965
