Lord Kitchener Elementary School
As part of a provincially-funded seismic upgrade and ‘Neighbourhood of Learning’ programs, IBI Group was brought onboard to modernize and redesign an originally free-standing, 1914 Heritage A-listed, wood frame school building fully integrated into a state-of-the-art replacement school.
Client
Vancouver School Board (School District No. 39)Location
Vancouver, BC
Lord Kitchener redesign makes a seismic shift in Vancouver K-12 education
As architects for the renewal and replacement school at Lord Kitchener Elementary, IBI was enlisted to relocate, renovate, and provide a seismic upgrade and complete integration for the new, state-of-the-art facility. The educational facility incorporates expanded kindergarten classrooms; a new, early learning curriculum; and substantial community-use facilities as part of the new provincially-funded ‘Neighborhood of Learning’ program.
Site planning constraints included the functional retention of the existing main school building until the new facility was ready, relocation of existing community playground facilities, and respect for the site’s mature landscape. From inception through phased construction of the new building, IBI Group negotiated on the municipal approvals for a relocation concept of the heritage designated 1914 structure, and seamless integration of this wood frame heritage building into the new structure.
Lord Kitchener’s new design seeks to promote group teaching and independent learning modalities through the linking of indoor and outdoor educational and social opportunities. The layout of the school enhances the educational experience by breaking down the traditional classroom model, identifying social and project educational spaces throughout the plan, and by clustering educational spaces into smaller learning communities with shared commons.
Learning+
A new generation of minds is reshaping the way we approach education at all levels of learning. The renewal and replacement of Lord Kitchener Elementary includes the full integration of a 1914 heritage building.
