Bayview Elementary is a replacement school located on the west side of Vancouver. The existing school was built in 1914 and demolished in the fall of 2020 with new construction started directly after.
The new school is a two-storey structure of 37,318 SF, with a long north/south axis and classrooms aligned to the east and west. The ground floor includes a main entry on the south end, centralized administration area, gymnasium connected to a large community space at the southwest corner, and a kindergarten pod + 3 classrooms to the north and east. The upper floor includes 10 classrooms connected to a central open library. Operable walls are installed between some classrooms allowing for collaborative teaching methods. The floor levels are connected by wide staircases at the north and south end. These stairwells are thought of as bright, active spaces with large, glazed panels to the interior and exterior.
The massing of the building is compact and efficient, clad in brick - a robust material that is reminiscent of the existing school building – but light in colour, introducing a contemporary and fresh aesthetic. The brick is used to clad spaces of education. In contrast to the white brick, a dark metal cladding is proposed for spaces of gathering such as the Multipurpose Room and Gymnasium as well as the circulation spine thru the centre of the building.
Mass Timber is being incorporated as primary structural elements throughout the school, and exposed throughout the Gymnasium, Library, Stairwells and Circulation spine. Exposing these elements provides a warmth to the interior spaces as well as saving costs related to additional finishes typically employed.
The multipurpose room on the ground floor includes the school servery, a preschool program and a before-after-school care program. As with most schools, these spaces need to be highly adaptable to accommodate a multitude of community and school uses. This space has been connected to the Gymnasium via a retractable wall that can be utilized for performances.
This project was led by Alvin Martin while with Francl Architecture.
