Sans-Frontières Elementary School

Sans-Frontières Elementary School is located in a developing neighbourhood in Saint-Jérôme’s Lafontaine district, close to Des Hauts-Sommets High School.

The building was designed and built for a minimal environmental footprint. As it is sited on rugged, uneven terrain, the storeys deploy in step fashion, adhering to the topographic contours as seamlessly as possible.


Architects

Birtz Bastien Beaudoin Laforest

Electromechanical

Stantec (Desseau)

Photography

Stéphane Brügger

Contractor

Anjalec Construction

Partners

Bergeron Thouin Architectes

Country

Canada


City

Saint-Jérôme (Lafontaine Area)


Client

Centre de services scolaire de la Rivière-du-Nord


Surface Area

5,065 m²


Year

2014


The color scheme of the school, both inside and outside, is meant to be fun and adapted to the clientele.

Across from the parking lot reserved for staff and users is a volume housing the public and community functions: administrative offices, gymnasium, multifunctional room and library. Another volume containing the classrooms flows fluidly, following the contours of the land. From these predominant volumes, whose entrances are easily distinguishable, are deployed three distinct blocks: to the west, the classroom block; to the east, the administrative and daycare block; and farther south, the service block, comprising the gymnasium and multifunctional room giving onto the schoolyard. A formal circulation pathway features a large skylight and links the different parts of the program. The school’s colour scheme, both indoor and outdoor, is intended to be lively and engaging, and adapted to the users.