DOUGLAS PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Description:

Douglas Park Elementary School is one of four new schools designed by Fielding Nair International in Regina, Saskatchewan, all crafted to nurture 21st century learners and support Regina Public School’s Structural Innovation initiative. This LEED Gold school features educational spaces of many sizes: Learning Studios with Quiet Rooms, Small Meeting Rooms, and Seminar Rooms. Students are grouped into Learning Communities that give teachers the flexibility of choosing the right size and type of space for each learning activity.

Additionally, the spaces in each Learning Community have been designed for maximum flexibility, many with roll-up glass doors that allow classrooms to open to adjacent areas. There is a teacher collaboration workroom in each, where teachers can plan interdisciplinary 21st century curricula. The south facing school commons brings in warmth and daylight, and is also designed to support a variety of teaching and learning modes from small group collaboration to student presentation.

Acoustics were carefully considered, with ceiling units and irregular walls that reduce noise in the more open spaces in the school. Flexible furnishings and lighting are essential for the success of those spaces, and Fielding Nair International is providing continued Professional Development to the teachers so they engage fully with the possibilities these spaces can offer. [1]

Dubbed the “school in the park,” the school’s design features take cues from its park-like setting near Wascana Lake. Sunlight pours through the school’s perimeter glazing and lingers at the vast south window. Large overhead doors open and close to allow flexibility and multiple classroom configurations. Radiant in-floor heating creates a welcoming environment and improves energy efficiency. Warm materials and green coloured glass showcase the natural setting that inspired the design. 

The school serves as a model for environmental responsibility. Students and visitors can witness its energy saving features via a touch screen display, as well as through cut-away views of the radiant heating and cooling systems, high efficiency boilers, and heat exchanger at work. A solar wall stands at the south facing facade of the gymnasium to pre-heat the fresh air supply needed in the mechanical system. [2]

Awards:

Prairie Design Awards, 2014

References:

[1]      “Douglas Park Elementary School.” Architect Magazine, January 2, 2013. https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/douglas-park-elementary-school.

[2]      “Douglas Park Elementary School.” Number TEN Architectural Group – Winnipeg & Victoria. Number TEN, November 14, 2018. https://www.numberten.com/projects/douglas-park-elementary-school.

Additional information:

“Douglas Park School.” Fielding International. Accessed June 23, 2021. https://www.fieldingintl.com/portfolio-item/douglas-park-school/.

“Project Database.” Canada Green Building Council. Accessed June 23, 2021. https://leed.cagbc.org/LEED/projectprofile_EN.aspx.

“Douglas Park School by Number TEN Architectural Group.” Architizer, February 24, 2014. https://architizer.com/projects/douglas-park-school/.

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