Two landscapes, two faces
Architecture and relationship to the landscape
The Rimouski school is situated between two singular landscapes: the pre-colonial forest, a meditative landscape to contemplate, and the agricultural fields, an active landscape where one can run, cultivate and create. The project acts in an empathetic way towards its environment, linking these two characteristic landscapes of the Lower St. Lawrence. Towards the forest, its form generates enclosed spaces bathed in light, like small clearings, while it offers a horizontal opening towards the topography of the fields. The natural context penetrates the building both visually and physically.
Inspired by the duality of the landscape, the program splits to dialogue with its context. Contemplative spaces become classrooms facing the forest, while action spaces connect to the agricultural fields. The architecture is conceived as a device by which the child is transported from a contemplative to an active state, and back again, supporting learning through individual focus, collaboration and experimentation. At the heart of the school, the learning street is the link between different environments, where the child can develop as an individual and understand his or her place within the group.
The school is located in the longitudinal direction of the site, taking advantage of the east-west orientation. Two large halls cross the entire thickness of the building and give it a porosity by linking the two landscapes. Their slate volumes define accesses that offer varied and flexible routes between the interior and exterior, at the time of arrival, departure and recreation periods. These volumes integrate vertical circulations and, on the floor, locker rooms assigned by cycle, which allows to delimit the dirty circulations from the rest of the school.
In its material expression, the school offers two distinct faces to its environment. On the forest side, the rhythm of the gables makes the juxtaposition of the classrooms legible and allows the identification of each of them. Moreover, this form refers to the archetype of the hut and gives a domestic scale to the school. On the field side, the modulation of the elements of the facade is amplified and their scale is close to that of agricultural buildings. The roof defines a volumetry that unites these two faces. It becomes a characteristic element of the school and produces an interior landscape that marks each of the spaces, while unifying them.
The courtyard
The courtyard extends the interior spaces. It is broken down into a sequence of singular landscape strips that border the school and generate a multitude of thresholds and sub-spaces allowing for varied activities.
Close to the forest, tree-lined spaces are created at the edge of the classrooms; the renaturalization of the site aims to bring nature into the classrooms, thus taking advantage of its benefits for learning. Between the classroom blocks, small courtyards are framed by terraces that serve as outdoor classrooms. This extension of the forest into the school also provides a gentle transition into the building. To access the main entrance, a ramp wanders through a plantation of birch trees creating a threshold between the space of the city and the school.
On the other side, the meadow has a community character. The school's common spaces extend into this courtyard. Thus, the indoor gymnasium opens onto an outdoor sports field, the kitchen is adjacent to the vegetable garden, and the workshops are connected to playgrounds, accessible in summer and winter. In order to provide flat spaces at the perimeter of the school that are conducive to group play and gathering, embankments are deconstructed in tiers.
When it rains and when the snow melts, water from the roofs is channeled through gutters that drain into the rain gardens at the edge of the meadow. Japanese steps and platforms allow to cross the rain gardens and then to conquer the slope giving access to the fields. Thus, the rainy days offer new opportunities for play and learning, while the embankments allow for the practice of motor skills and the apprehension of the horizon in the distance.
At all scales, the school is in dialogue with its environment, offering the children who attend it a living environment conducive to nature-sensitive learning. In its spatial organization and form, it deploys varied spaces, connected to contrasting landscapes, which can induce different states. The school constantly overflows its container to produce a living laboratory where we learn, experiment and collaborate, in an experience renewed every day.
(Competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Stage 1:
This proposal brings together several distinctive elements that should be noted. The location and orientation towards the forest are noteworthy. The proposal is warm with its evocation of small houses. The grouping of classes with the impression of small courtyards adds to the proposal. It is easy to find one's way around and the organization facilitates circulation and enhances the experience.
The jury appreciates the positioning of the administration at the entrance, the layout of the preschool classes and their respective entrances, as well as the grouping of the locker rooms by cycle. The jury salutes the presence of the bleachers, the greenhouse, the extension of the dining room to the outside and the spacious kitchen, the positioning of the outdoor classroom and the terrace that was provided for the staff members. It should be noted that the grouping of classes in groups of three is a good solution.
In this Rimouski project, where the learning community will be an important educational vector, we can feel a good understanding of this innovative pedagogical model. This element is a strong point of the proposal.
Recommendations
Architectural expression
The jury's recommendations focus more on the envelope as the proposal generally addresses the interior use requirements. Mention is made of unifying the exterior aesthetic by adding sobriety and unity to the whole, as the interior image proposes. The very large number of exterior materials disadvantages the proposal.
Although the roofs are interesting, the jury questions the complexity of the roofs, their inclinations and anticipates problems with water runoff, ice and snow accumulation. The solution could become an interesting element of the project.
Access and approach
The main entrance seems a little rough. Could there be more protection for those who use it? In its current form, this entrance is not representative of the whole. Finally, the kindergarten access on the north side seems too far from the path.
Developments
Finally, the jury invites reflection on the importance of L-shaped classrooms that become, at all grade levels, flexible learning spaces where a dedicated space promotes concentration and allows for the support of a small group of students requiring more attention.
Stage 2:
The jury appreciates the strong conceptual approach of the two landscapes, which generates a proposal that is well anchored to its context. It creates a successful dialogue between the two faces of the site. The courtyards and outdoor terraces also contribute to reinforcing this exchange relationship, in addition to establishing strong links between the interior and exterior spaces. Inside, the jury emphasizes the rigor and functionality of the plan. The tiered space in two sections, one facing the other, creates a welcoming heart that connects to the exterior. The pragmatic and rational character of the proposal allows the concept to be adapted to various situations of sharing the school space with the community. The simplicity of the wood-frame volumes is also well received. The jury also appreciates the proposed development strategies. The architectural responses to these strategies, including the small chimneys in the concentration spaces, are considered successful.
In addition, the jury appreciates the following:
+ The proposed layout of the classrooms that form "L" shaped learning spaces around a plaza.
+ The traditionally inspired exterior cladding, in keeping with the built environment of the region.
+ The positioning of the food core that facilitates sharing with the daycare and the community.
+ The application of various spatial organization concepts, particularly the learning community.
+ The five essential elements of sustainable development are met or exceeded.
The jury has some reservations about the following elements:
+ The volumetry of the roofs, which raises many questions about water and frost management in winter.
+ The layout of the exterior spaces, which would benefit from a warmer and greener treatment.
+ The positioning of the preschool classes and their entrances, which makes the route from the courtyard complex.
+ The volumetry, which gives an image of row houses, whose relevance is questioned by the jury.
+ The narrowness and proportions of the circulations, particularly the central corridor that crosses the entire school.
+ The location of parking on the site, which conflicts with walking and cycling.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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