BORÉAL PRIMARY SCHOOL

The new Elementary School of Boischatel was built on the old municipal baseball field, beside the soccer field, and is surrounded by a wonderful wooden area.

The building regroups twelve classrooms, two kindergartens, a daycare, a library, a computer laboratory, few administrative offices and a gymnasium which was designed to be doubled, if needed. The steel structure of this two storey school was conceived to receive twelve more classrooms and an extension of the gymnasium. The school was designed to allow the access of the gymnasium (and its services) to the citizens of the municipality after the working and teaching hours. The proximity of the school within the wooden area and its creek creates an inspiring environment for the students and the staff, giving the impression of a “tree house/classroom”.

The school was designed according to the principles of the sustainable development. In fact, the building’s footprint is as minimal as it can be. Every room along its perimeter has operable windows which allow a fresh breeze to get in to cool the spaces if needed. The building includes a cooling and heating geothermic system, reducing its energy cost when facing a hot summer day or a cold one in winter, and has a solar wall which helps in preheating the air.