b'COVER STORYDesign renderings courtesy of Station One Architects.CLASS IN SESSION BY KELLY PARKERH.S. GRENDA MIDDLE SCHOOL BOTH CAPTURES AND COMPLEMENTS OKANAGAN LANDSCAPEcole H.S. Grenda MiddleStrategically placed glazing connects thelimited on floor space to spread out, theSchool was recently completedlearning spaces to the outdoors, and themain floor was unique because we stepped in Lake Country, B.C.,design includes a servery, a full gymnasiumit three different levelsour entry was at providing 600 new spaces for studentsand music, drama and home economicsone level, and then you stepped up to the in grades 6 to 8 when it opened inrooms. The sustainable building is heatedeast side.September 2021. The $40-million schoolsand cooled using geothermal technology cutting-edge sustainable design includesand is built on a former infill playingThe schools placement, combined with natural light and open, adaptive andfield, while the structures footprint wasthe window glazing, was intended to collaborative learning spaces.minimized to maximize and complementcapture as much natural daylight as the surrounding greenspace environment. possible while keeping the front faade as According to SOA (Station Onea key feature of the design. The intent Architects, formerly CHP Architects),That small footprint was partially dictatedwith the glazing was to capture the natural the three-storey school is comprised ofby the corner lot on which the schoollight to fill the classrooms, open up the open learning studios equipped withis built. We were very limited in ourspace and bring the outdoors indoors, overhead operational doors that enablespace on site, which was one of thenotes Brennan. The spectacular views each to connect to the adjacent makerbiggest challenges we had to figure out,also come into play as part of the overall spaces and create a multi-user learningexplains SOA Associate Matt Brennan.biophilia effect of integrating nature into studio. The school is broken into separateThe three-storey option allowed us tothe design rather than shutting it out. The communities while retaining a newmeet the required number of classroomsart room on the north side of the property traditional learning environment.by building upward. Because we were sohas high glazing on the windows, which 28 SOUTHERN INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION'