Forging the future of design for elementary learning.

GEC’s design of 18 new schools and community centres across Saskatchewan pioneered a new type of infrastructure delivery method for the province. These new learning facilities, located in Regina, Saskatoon, Martensville and Warman, were delivered through the Public-Private-Partnership (P3) procurement method – on budget, and on schedule. Each building consists of a public school, a separate school, and a shared, public community centre and licensed daycare. Designed to create efficiencies and strengthen the relationships between school divisions, these joint-use buildings provide state-of-the-art education facilities for students, as well as a new facility for sports and cultural activities for the local community.

GEC worked with five school divisions and a First Nations band to develop innovative and flexible designs for each building. While the schools are based on three prototypical models designed by GEC, these were highly modified to meet the specific pedagogical approaches of the individual school boards. Some boards preferred a traditional classroom-focused design, while other boards requested open and flexible co-teaching spaces. Environmental stewardship was a key component of the design of all 18 schools, with LEED Silver accreditation as a leading design objective.

The schools are designed to foster collaboration through interconnected learning spaces such as classrooms, learning commons, and breakout spaces; interconnected teacher support spaces, such as teacher collaboration rooms adjacent to learning commons; and interconnections between learning communities and floors of the building.

* In design partnership with Kindrachuk Agrey Architecture.