• Grande Hermine Primary School
  • Grande Hermine Primary School
  • Grande Hermine Primary School
  • Grande Hermine Primary School
  • Grande Hermine Primary School
  • Grande Hermine Primary School

Grande Hermine Primary School

Commission scolaire de la Capitale

Category

Education, sports and leisure


Client

Commission scolaire de la Capitale


Location

Quebec (Québec) / Canada

Date

2008


Budget

6 M$

Area

3 600 m²


Credits

ABCP architecture + Bisson Associés

Photos © Paul Dionne & Stéphane Groleau


Awards and mentions

  • Prix d’excellence Vision Jeunesse de l’Ordre des Architectes du Québec (OAQ)

  • LEED NC Certification of the Canada Green Building Council


Description

This innovative primary school, designed and built in conjunction with Bisson Associés, was completed in early 2008 after an accelerated construction process. The design and construction of this urban integration project in Old Limoilou were based on sustainable development principles, and the school obtained LEED certification in September 2008, making it the first primary school in Quebec to be registered with the Canada Green Building Council.

 

Numerous LEED strategies were used: a green roof over part of the building, lights that automatically turn off when rooms are unoccupied, controlled water levels in toilets, and more. Materials with a minimum percentage of recycled matter and reduced amounts of air contaminants were preferred, and to support the regional economy and limit the environmental impact of transporting materials, priority was given to those that had been extracted, recycled, or manufactured within 800 kilometers of the site.

 

 

The school designed to accommodate 350 children features a large central foyer where students can gather and temporary exhibits be displayed. It also contains administrative offices, an after-school child care service, 18 classrooms, and a gymnasium. The library, with its full-length windows, provides views of the outside and the main foyer, and boasts distinctive metal siding that sets the tone for the exterior volume and forms a porch for the main entrance.