A village to raise a child, a school to cultivate knowledge
Drawing on the roots of the local building culture
The new Saint-Joseph school is inspired by the forms and materials of the agricultural buildings found in Maskinongé. Like a village, it is organized according to a logic of juxtaposition of elements, creating a multitude of stimulating learning spaces, both inside and outside the building. Following the example of local vernacular architecture, its east-west layout is based on the climatic, functional and physical constraints of the site. This layout defines a generous sunny courtyard, sheltered from the wind; it also ensures comfortable and appropriate physical environments for each type of space.
"A village to raise a child"
The project reflects the sense of community of the people of Maskinongé, through a versatile and flexible school. Intended for the learning and discovery of children, its facilities also allow all citizens to make it their own. Its interior organization revolves around a heart that invites the Maskinonge community to take part in the extracurricular life.
The new public entrance, protected from the prevailing winds, is located on Saint-Luc Street. It is linked to a parking lot that can be adapted according to the seasons in order to promote active transportation for students and staff. In fact, a plaza with bicycle parking becomes a car park in winter.
The gymnasium adjacent to this entrance doubles as an outdoor sports field that is occupied by children during the day and made available to all residents in the evening. In the winter, this playground becomes an ice rink that encourages children and their parents to continue outdoor activities during the cold season.
The school opens up to the community through other program elements. Upon entering, the lobby provides a clear view of the shared spaces: the assembly room, the culinary processing area, the gymnasium, and, set back slightly, the workshops. This space is the heart of the school and, like the central square of a village, it attracts and orients.
The assembly hall is bright and open in double height. Its central location allows it to host all kinds of school and community events. If needed, larger groups can spill over into the circulation areas, the courtyard and the 7th classroom, as it opens easily onto the gathering space thanks to its removable partitions. The bleacher, a key element of the dining room, ensures its daily use and allows the transformation of this space into a performance or broadcast room.
Reminiscent of the layout of traditional Quebec kitchens, the culinary transformation space is closely connected to the dining room. A large island encourages gathering and learning about healthy living habits, inspires sharing and promotes exchanges.
The gymnasium completes the center of this small village. With windows onto the hall and the front yard, the activities that take place there become a spectacle and encourage movement. To reduce the height of the gymnasium volume in relation to the neighboring buildings, it is slightly recessed into the ground. This vertical layout also allows for savings at the time of construction (materials) and throughout the life cycle of the building (energy).
Adjacent to this new facility, the elementary school locker rooms are located in the old gymnasium, in connection with the daycare facilities. This location simplifies transitions to the outside, concentrates the dirty spaces in one place, and provides direct contact between parents and school staff when students leave at the end of the day.
In order to maximize the potential of the Honco building, the music, English, art and science studios are located on the mezzanine above the locker rooms. These spaces offer great versatility and benefit from natural light on the upper level. The products of this creative laboratory could be displayed along the hillside leading down to the old school: an ever-changing exhibition space.
"A school to cultivate knowledge"
In the new pavilion, the elementary classrooms are paired by grade. They have generous windows that let in constant light, suitable for teaching activities. These classrooms can open onto the learning street, bathed in southern light. The corridor that distributes the primary classrooms is a place for learning: it is punctuated by planters, libraries, concentration nests and collaborative spaces.
The rural context of the school, combined with contemporary issues of health, well-being and ecology, encourages the diversification of its fields of expertise by displaying an innovative and rewarding market garden face. Thus, a green greenhouse, integrated into the south wall of the learning street, is intended to develop new educational activities. Installed at the height of the children and accessible through sliding windows, so that they can observe, manipulate and cultivate the plants, this greenhouse makes it possible to extend the cultivation period and take advantage of this teaching tool during the school year.
The outdoor spaces also contribute to the variety of learning and play areas. The large courtyard hosts the main vegetable garden, open to the community during the summer. Nearby, the terrace under the courtyard provides a protected space for play and learning. Along the trees, the ground is laid out in a more natural way to stimulate motor development and encourage free play. On the roofs, the courtyard is transformed into a biodiversity discovery zone: a garden of the senses where fragrant flowers and aromatic herbs mingle. From this first roof, a hill embedded in the volume of the gymnasium allows to vary the sports courses through stairs, a climbing slope and a slide. In winter, it becomes a mound for spontaneous games.
Inspired by the past and looking to the future
Finally, the old school, which is smaller in size, houses the kindergarten hamlet, the motor room and the administrative offices. The three classrooms have a clear view of the river, as the windows have been enlarged and their sills fitted for the youngest children. The movable walls of the rooms allow them to open onto the learning street, which offers various places to encourage collaboration, learning or concentration. The former parking lot is transformed into a playground for kindergarten students.
In this project, the teaching of technology at the primary level is based on the observation and understanding of the mechanisms that surround children, so that they can then develop the skills to improve them. Architectural decisions, such as leaving the structure and ventilation mechanisms visible or the use of passive heating and ventilation systems in the greenhouses, are a start to familiarize the child with the technologies that surround them. A hand pump was also installed near the greenhouses to bring rainwater stored in the retention basin. The first principles of mechanics and physics can thus be observed and experienced on a daily basis.
In short, the school builds on the achievements of the past to welcome the students and the community who will create an effervescent living environment. The school is alive: it evolves, it adapts, and it cultivates plants, curiosity and knowledge.
(Competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
STAGE 1:
The merits of this proposal are numerous. The jury underlines the simplicity of the implantation considering the constraints of the site, it invites the designer to keep the qualities of the external arrangements which were proposed to him. The east-west implantation is sensitive and the integration into the landscape pleases the jury. The village theme is well integrated.
The jury also appreciates the central collaborative spaces open to the courtyard, the work done on the existing gymnasium is appropriate and the motor room enriches the services offered. The circulation routes are functional, but recommendations are made. The jury appreciates the treatment of the preschool children who have their own separate courtyard. Community relations are expressed effectively, particularly in access to the gym, kitchen and vegetable garden.
Recommendations
Integration, context and landscape raise some questions. How does the gymnasium extension relate to the parking lot on St. Luke's Street? The interface between the gym and the importance of more outdoor play space should be reworked. The use of the green roof and the creation of mineralized play spaces would also be desirable. Overall, the green space programming needs to be reworked.
With regard to access, although the jury welcomes the potential, the axis of entry from the parking lot is questioned as well as the courtyard. It questions the entrance for the staff as well as the main entrance for the students. How would it be possible to avoid soiling the school from the students' entrance? The entrances should be more clearly marked and the courtyard integrated into the sequence.
Some comments were made about the functionality of the layout and the relationships between the spaces developed. To facilitate work at the entrance, the secretariat and the principal's office should be reversed. Although the jury emphasizes the beautiful equity of the learning spaces, it calls on the designers to work on a more functional configuration of the workshop spaces. The jury also questioned the layout of the kindergartens on two floors. The motor room could be reversed to optimize its use. Another element of concern is the view from the classrooms on the first floor to the north.
All roofs should be thought of as spaces that are viewed from the classrooms. Since 95% of the students eat at school, there needs to be enough space so that only two lunch periods are held. The proposed sixty seats are therefore insufficient. The exploded library should also be better defined.
The jury finally invites the competitor to further develop the tectonics of the courtyard. It should be well represented so that it remains a strong and convincing element in the proposal.
STAGE 2:
The jury appreciates the innovative ideas in this proposal, among others with the greenhouse and the intention to use the roof, which create great opportunities for innovation in school architecture. The jury highlights the functionality of the plan, which shows a good understanding of the school world. The core of the project allows for the distribution of three clear axes that facilitate the reading of the project. The community hub is also inviting to the community and offers the desired versatility. The proposed learning spaces, in relation to different collaborative spaces, are convincing.
In addition, the jury appreciates the following:
+ The efficient organization of the locker rooms.
+ The evolution of the courtyard through the seasons.
+ The integration of a double envelope into the greenhouse, making it a bioclimatic element.
+ The management of the ground surfaces in the courtyard.
+ The proximity of the functions used by the daycare service.
+ The versatility of the classrooms allowing for different learning situations.
+ The addition of collaborative spaces in the preschool classrooms.
+ The distribution of classes on two levels is very functional. This leads to a better flow during the transition to the locker rooms.
+ The clarity of the public presentation, which gave the jury confidence.
The jury has certain reservations about the following elements:
+ The tectonic expression and the different volumes that do not interact easily and raise certain questions about the elevation of the gymnasium.
+ The apparent structures on the first floor.
+ The green roof, whose use is not understood, since it is technically not possible to walk on it. It should rather be called a roof terrace with planters.
+ The learning street which, despite its qualities, seems narrow to accommodate several children at once.
+ The choice of exterior and interior perspectives and the quality of the ambiances proposed in the spaces presented, which provide little information on the architecture of the project.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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