St-Hyacinthe Professional School
Commission scolaire de Saint-Hyacinthe
Category
Education, sports and leisure
Client
Commission scolaire de Saint-Hyacinthe
Location
Saint-Hyacinthe (Québec) / Canada
Date
2000
Budget
18 M$
Area
13 000 m.c.
Credits
ABCP architecture
Photos © François Bastien
Awards and mentions
Prix d’excellence, Business Week / Architectural Record de l'American Institut of architecture, pour les phases I et II
Prix d’excellence de l’Ordre des Architectes du Québec (OAQ), catégorie architecture institutionnelle, pour la phase II
Prix d’excellence de l’Institut canadien de la construction en acier (ICCA)
Prix ENERGIA, pour la phase I
Description
This two-phase project involved building a 13,000 m2 school, including large workshops, classrooms, administrative offices, and various public areas. ABCP ARCHITECTURE & URBANISME was in charge of all drawings and specifications, in-residence oversight of the work, and all furniture in the public areas.
PHASE I
The initial architectural phase proposed the creation of a new architectural typology for school buildings. This typology added a 1,300 m2 area (covered courtyard) that fulfills the essential social role of bringing people together to interact. This addition, which was not included in the original plans, was made possible by saving space that the ministry of education had earmarked for circulation zones and technical spaces.
PHASE II
The new volumes lying perpendicular to the existing building provide two large public areas—a student café (Rock Café) and a covered outdoor plaza—that complement the courtyard. These public areas provide a focus for the school’s social activities without undermining the role of the courtyard.