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Spotlight on the new high school de la Cité
By : Leclerc architectes + Lapalme Rheault Architectes & Associés
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Public Building / School & Preschool Education Building : Bronze Certification
The new École secondaire de la Cité, located in the Du Plateau sector of Gatineau, is a public school built for the Centre de services scolaires des Portages-de-l’Outaouais (CSSPO).
With a surface area of 10722m2 and a capacity of 810 students, it has 27 regular classes, 4 specialized classes, 4 science labs, 2 technical labs, 2 fine arts classes, 2 sports stages, a library, a drama and stage room, an administration and a teacher’s work lounge. The project was designed to provide students with collaborative and social spaces, such as social and meeting spaces near the classrooms, a multi-purpose tiered classroom in the library, a double-height social space near the gymnasiums, and a huddle room/cafeteria adjacent to the drama room stage.
What can be called the « Central Core » of the project consists of the entrance, atrium, locker rooms/lockers, gathering spaces and library.
The building’s massing is subtly emphasized through the use of three distinct volumes, all clad in an elegant pristine white, with delicate transparent curtain walls allowing for easy reading of each volume.
Biophilia is at the heart of this project, as the woodland on the site has been preserved to contribute to the biodiversity of the area and the civic plaza in front of the school is a gathering place for the community.
All of this contributes to making this project a place for the local community to live, meet, and exchange.
Collaboration
Architect : Leclerc architectes Inc.
Architect : Lapalme Rheault architectes et associés
