Local trades help to build new school

Page 17

The Red Sucker Lake School site is located at the eastern edge of the community and bounded by a landing strip clearing to the north, the reserve boundary to the east and Red Sucker Lake to the south.

The Red Sucker Lake School consists of one kindergarten classroom, four elementary/junior classrooms, four senior classrooms, a gymnasium/auditorium, library/resource centre, science room, a multipurpose room and administrative, storage and building system support spaces.

The project was tendered in December 1993. Construction was started May 1994 and continued until October 1994 when it was shut down for the winter. The balance of the materials were shipped via winter road in 1995 and construction continued until the opening in September.

Total cost of the project was $11 million including design. Constructions also included 10 new or relocated teacherages adjacent to the school.

In excess of 28,000 man hours of local labor were utilized on the project. All the sitework and concrete was done by Red Sucker Lake Contractors Inc., which is owned by the First Nation.

The 2,190 sq. m school space is designed to be flexible to allow for community use of the facility during non-school hours for continuing education programs, recreation and social events. The gymnasium/auditorium, shower rooms and the library/resource area were specifically identified by the band council and education authority as areas that would be extensively utilized by the community.

The school plan is organized about southwest/northeast and southeast/northwest axes. A circular gathering/meeting place is developed at the intersection of the two axes. The cylindrical form of the space is lindrical form of the space is derived from the cultural significance of the circle and the cardinal compass points.

The gathering space projects through the roof to allow natural light to penetrate the central area of the building via clerestory windows. The projected cylindrical roof form acts as a beacon at night when the interior lights illuminate the clerestory windows.

The main entrance to the school is oriented southwest. The main entrance leads directly into the central gather space which serves as the main orientation point within the building. Administration offices are located immediately adjacent the main entrance and central gathering space to monitor the arrival of students and visitors entering the school.

Views out from the central gathering space through the main entrance vestibule overlook the formal dedication circle and main drop-off area.

Classroom groupings are organized about two corridors. The kindergarten and elementary classrooms are grouped together in the northwest wing separate from the science room and senior classrooms which are located in the northeast wing. The elementary corridor exits directly to the elementary playground.

An outdoor classroom in the form of a clearing in the trees beyond the building is developed on axis at the end of the senior classroom wing. Community discussions identified this outdoor classroom as an important site feature to facilitate the teaching of traditional skills and cultural education.

The kindergarten has a separate entrance overlooking the fenced kindergarten play area. The kindergarten entrance is located adjacent the main entrance to take advantage of the close proximity to the drop-off and parking areas.

The multipurpose room is designed to be flexible. Two acoustic folding partitions and a small kitchen/canteen area allows the space to be utilized as a large teaching space, two seminar rooms, a lunchroom or as a stage in conjunction with the gymnasium.

Handicapped access is provided via ramps at the main entrance, the exterior gymnasium/auditorium community entrance and at the elementary wing entrance.

The main concept for the exterior of the school was to create an image which compliments the natural surroundings of the site reflecting the community's cultural association with thenatural environment.

The overall building mass is kept low and unobtrusive. Exterior wall cladding materials include prestained board on boar cedar siding and split faced concrete block veneer. Materials were selected for their natural characteristics.