Au Domaine-sur-le-Vert School

Country Canada
City Saint-Hyacinthe
Customer Centre de services scolaire de St-Hyacinthe
Surface area 5,493 m²
Year 2023
Certification WELL Silver

Au Domaine-sur-le-Vert proposes a teaching approach extending beyond the classroom setting. Pedagogical spaces shouldn’t be limited to classrooms: the guiding principle of the design for the Au Domaine-sur-le-Vert primary school, entrusted to Provencher_Roy by the Centre de services scolaire de Saint-Hyacinthe.

In fact, this school constitutes the first one in Québec conceived for WELL certification, prioritizing occupant health, comfort, and well-being. To begin with, the school’s originality lies in the desire to imagine every last corner as a potential learning space. The conventional architectural framework was revised to diversify gathering spaces, and favour interactions and socialization. Taking the opposite stance of traditional schools composed of long hallways lined with classes, Au Domaine-sur-le-Vert offers a more flexible, open, and collaborative model.

Interior of Au Domaine-sur-le-Vert School

The new building consists of six pre-school classes, 16 primary classes, and four classes for students with physical, adaptational or learning disabilities. A large agora offers a mealtime gathering space and benefits from an immense curtain wall allowing the infiltration of natural light and exceptional panoramas of the park.

The school is human scale and particularly adapted to children. For instance, the volume dedicated to pre-school learning is reduced by one level, and the division of the building into pedagogical wings with distinct entrances and furniture integrating signage prevents students from feeling overwhelmed when circulating within the school. The human dimension extends to all project details, and specifically to perforated railings that are adapted to the littlest users, enabling them to view the agora alongside adults.

Au Domaine-sur-le-Vert is the first WELL-certified school in Québec. Particular attention was placed on the use of natural materials that are low carbon, locally sourced whenever possible, and recycled or infinitely recyclable (like aluminum). Omnipresent in the project, FSC-certified wood infuses multipurpose spaces with warmth and conviviality. It shapes little alcoves in which to read or converse, while harmonizing with calm light colours and the dynamic yellow of colour accents.

Students benefit from maximum exposure to natural light, pleasant acoustics, and generous views of the exterior. Classrooms are north facing to prevent glare from direct sunlight, while multipurpose spaces are south facing to benefit from an abundance of natural light. Solar exposure is regulated through the textural interplay of translucent and opaque surfaces, and the integration of shade screens on the southern fenestration.

Finally, the use of geothermal energy paired with optimal insulation enables the comfort of radiant floor heating. These are just some of the many distinguishing elements of Au Domaine-sur-le-Vert primary school, making it an inviting learning environment for students and teachers alike, in addition to establishing it as a landmark in the Saint-Hyacinthe community.