An open landscape
From Kamouraska to St-Barnabé Island in Rimouski, passing through Bic Park, large rocky buttes jostle the landscape between plains and flats. These massive formations, called "cabourons", emerge from the ground and animate the landscape with small mountains and islands. Our proposal is inspired by these monolithic formations that characterize the landscape of the Lower St. Lawrence.
The school as landscape
On the façade, like one of these mountain ridges, the roof creates a strong and attractive visual appeal from the street. The vertical lines of the wood siding joints and the structure interact with the tree trunks of the surrounding forest. Viewed from the rear from the fields and courtyard, the school appears to emerge across the plain. It is read in the landscape as an agglomeration of blocks, with towers, between which generous openings allow natural light to penetrate. The play of advances and retreats of simple volumes gives rhythm to the facades and creates a diversity of spaces to discover and inhabit. The lines of force of the cabourons can also be seen in the landscaping where paving stones, gardens and mounds alternate to experiment, slide, climb or observe.
At the heart of the interior landscape
The school is divided into two hearts; community and school. Shared with the community, the first heart includes the gymnasium, the motor room as well as the dining area and the kitchen workshop. This core is positioned near the street and set at an angle to make its presence visible and attractive to the neighborhood. In the evening, the second main entrance located towards the parking lot allows access to the community center while a metal curtain restricts access to the rest of the school.
The position of the gymnasium in the foreground allows the school's sports life to be appreciated from both inside and outside. Seen from the inside, the articulation of the gymnasium roof reveals a large wooden veil held in place by an ingenious system of ties. A band of windows at ground level along the perimeter of the gymnasium is protected by a generous overhang. This gives an original character to the facade and at the same time creates a dynamic protected exterior circulation around the gymnasium. A large window on the north side of the gymnasium wall also brings abundant and constant natural light into the sports space.
In direct visual relation with the gymnasium, the kitchen space is also placed in a privileged relation with the courtyard and near the vegetable garden and the greenhouse on the roof. During the meal, the children can choose between different eating environments. They can watch the action in the gymnasium, sit in a tiered area or go outside under a covered area. The cooking workshop allows both the children and the community to learn more about the art of cooking.
The learning alley is the unifying axis of the school community. This generous and lively circulation leads to the second heart of the school: the grandstand. As you cross the threshold, you can already see it in the distance, bathed in natural light. To get there, the child walks through exploded libraries and animated collaborative spaces. They can also stop to contemplate the visual breakthroughs towards the forest, the yard and the fields. Small dinettes are also set up along this route to offer the opportunity to dine in small groups.
The highlight of the learning alley is the bleacher, which is the school's main gathering place. Punctuated by a tree and open on a double height on the courtyard, this space of games and meetings becomes the theater of the daily life of the school. During winter storms, children can watch the elements from inside, slide or play in a bouncing net. At the end of classes, the bleacher allows all the children and staff to come together for a big speech, a show or a party.
Inspired by the landscape of islands and hillocks, each classroom is a cabouron with its own distinctive features. The child recognizes and identifies with his or her place of learning from the outside. From the inside, the double-sloped roof creates an atmosphere of refuge and protection. A skylight on the north side opens the classroom to the sky and provides a diffuse white light. The south slope is extended into an overhang to prevent direct sunlight and glare. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide a compelling view of the forest and agricultural landscapes surrounding the school. Openings on both sides of the classroom allow for natural cross ventilation and chimney effect for maximum comfort without energy consumption.
The rectangular and free proportion of the classroom allows multiple possibilities of configurations and uses. One wall of the classroom integrates storage, concentration space and integrated furniture.
A new learning landscape
This sketch of a 21st century school is in line with the culture developed by the Lab-École by offering generous, inhabited and diversified circulations. The school's spaces revolve around meeting points bathed in natural light and open to nature. The school is no longer a closed shell. It is thought of as an amalgam of interior and exterior spaces developed in direct relation to the site, the culture and the landscapes of the community that support it.
(Competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Stage 1:
The merit of this proposal lies primarily in its atypical and constructive expression. The jury recognizes the good spatial qualities of the project and the relationship with the residential area is successful. The south-facing location, with a street presence, is well presented, but the jury recalls that it will not be possible to extend this artery beyond its current configuration. The proximity of the community facilities (gymnasium and large dining room) and neighborhood is well received by the jury.
The parvis is well positioned. The architectural party the specificity of each class allows the appropriation by the child The compact plan allows a clever fragmentation of areas. The singular proposal facilitates visual recognition by the child. The sequence at the entrance and in the learning axis that opens between the wooded area and the courtyard allows for a good understanding. The view of the bleachers in the distance and the circuit allowing to cross the exploded library are interesting elements.
Finally, the grouping of classes and the collaborative spaces are appreciated by the jury, as is the importance of the storage spaces. The proposer seems to have thought about a possible expansion of the school in the future, which is an advantage.
The jury also appreciated the outdoor terrace adjacent to the staff lounge, positioned to the west, as well as the warm materiality and evocation of the Cabourons, a clever nod to the regional topography. Although the roof would benefit from being higher, the project is appealing.
Recommendations
Implementation
The siting questions the jury in terms of the angulation chosen. Upon arrival, the question of parking is of concern. The jury also questions the access of the students, the school workers and the public through a low roof which causes a certain crushing. It would be good to continue the play of the roofs (keep the wave effect), but the designers will have to support and justify these choices in a northern context. The jury wonders if a roof terrace would be possible as an extension of the motor development room.
It is noted that this school intends to promote outdoor learning, as well as physical activities of all kinds. In this sense, it would be appropriate to review the exterior storage facilities, which are considered insufficient.
Architectural Expression and Elevations
The jury emphasizes the rhythm of the elevations, with its highly articulated and moving façades, but questions whether the proposal does not overdo it and asks that it be weighted and refined.
Interior design
The reception area is interesting, but it is essential that the secretariat be repositioned near the first floor. Access control and services to the public must be facilitated.
One reservation, if not a question, concerns the grouping of classes. Their distribution according to study cycles should be considered. There seems to be an ambivalence in the solution provided.
The learning street is greatly appreciated, but the two cores are not distinctive. In addition, the dining space does not allow for a view of the kitchen, which is the place where meals are prepared, but also a place of learning for project students. The jury has doubts and asks to review or clarify this aspect: who will eat upstairs if the kitchen is on the first floor? Would the integration of kitchenettes be possible? It would be possible to set up small spaces for cooking and eating in the collaborative spaces.
The appropriation of the shared spaces with the community will have to be reviewed in relation to the indications of the program.
In addition, acoustic solutions should be proposed by the finalists.
Roofing and envelope
Finally, the proposal raises doubts about the roofs, which are prone to the accumulation of snow and ice loads, their waterproofing and maintenance. The thermal envelope is not compact and the glazing suggests expensive heating costs. A bioclimatic overload challenge is present with the large canopy.
Stage 2:
The jury emphasizes the building's location, which allows for an interesting presence on Anne-Hébert Street by proposing a building that is in dialogue with the street and the neighborhood. The façade facing the street is appreciated with the broken line of the gymnasium roof and its rich fenestration, which will serve as a focal point, like a lantern at night. Inside, the jury notes an effective plan. The large glass walls in three areas, the locker rooms, the dinette and the bleachers, provide an interesting visual contact with the outside. The jury appreciates the bright and calm atmosphere that demonstrates that the space is functional and appropriate for an elementary school. The fragments presented work; they are very inviting and convincing. The flavour workshop is particularly appreciated, as the jury feels that school life will be able to invest this space. Moreover, the heart with the bleachers is pleasant, well lit and creates a nice atmosphere. Finally, the jury emphasizes the credible integration of sustainable development in the proposal.
In addition, the jury appreciates the following elements:
+ The jury appreciates the presence of two hearts, the community heart and the school heart.
+ The illustrations of the schoolyard and its relationship to the seasons are convincing.
+ The exterior agora is well oriented.
+ The agora is harmonious and on a child's scale.
+ The orientation and management of openings are optimal to avoid overheating.
+ The integration of the libraries within the school is judicious.
+ The evocation of the "cabourons", monolithic formations, as a symbolic evocation associated with the context, is promising.
+ The five essential elements of sustainable development are achieved, even exceeded.
However, the jury has reservations about the following elements:
+ The contrast between the expression of the volumetry of the school and that of the gymnasium, marking a loss of coherence since the first stage.
+ The complexity of the roofs, which raises reservations about the resolution of water drainage and snow accumulation.
+ The efforts to make a green roof that handicaps the headroom of the living spaces underneath.
+ The outdoor classroom on the north side is in the shade.
+ A portion of the locker rooms, located at the northeast end of the building, makes student movement rather complex.
+ The cohabitation of the parking lot and the landing is rather complex.
+ The wide corridor to which the learning communities are attached seems less user-friendly and appropriable for a variety of pedagogical activities.
+ The architectural expression of the roofs is unresolved, using multiple forms to express the same concept.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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