Barrie, ON
This new 1005 pupil secondary school was developed in response to increased suburban growth pressures and as a strategy to close undersubscribed schools in demographically changing urban areas. The client’s choice of a sloping, agricultural site led to challenges by the municipality in regards to site planning, servicing and building form. In response to the site’s natural topography, the 3 level, 135,700 sf design embraces the sloping nature of the site, traversing the length of the slope similar to a giant retaining wall, creating an upper and lower plateau. The upper plateau includes all parking and bus drop off areas that lead to the school’s main entrance. Upon arrival, a split entry Student Forum is the connective space that was devised to link both plateaus. The hub-like and transparent nature of the Forum provides access to the school’s upper plateau administration area, and the lower plateau cafeteria and learning commons. The flexible nature of the cafeteria also serves as a double-sided stage for the theatre arts and music program. In close adjacency is a triple gymnasium with exercise room on an upper mezzanine. Direct access is provided to an all-weather track & field with bermed spectator seating as well as an informal turfed sports pitch or commons. Extensive design detail was paid to the public realm along two major street frontages with landscaping that includes naturalized planting, stone terraces, harmonized with storm water bio-swale management and infiltration galleries.
Client
Simcoe County District School Board
Size
147,000 sf
Program
Classrooms
Science Labs
Music/Art/Theatre
Dance/Aerobics Studio
Triple Gymnasium
Change Rooms
Storage
Exercise Room
Family Studies
Special Education
Stage
Cafetorium/Cafeteria
Library
Resource Room
General Office
Staff Lounge
Kitchen/Servery
Staff Room and Teacher Work Rooms