Prioritizing Flexibility, Collaboration and Experiential Learning

As the first school under the Calgary Board of Education’s purview to be kindergarten through ninth grade, the Griffith Woods School needed to be a new design model for the board. While working with this new student age mix and a highly restrictive site, HDR delivered an innovative and uplifting design that is perfectly suited for 21st-century education.

The school encompasses a full blend of 900 K-9 students without designated territory for elementary school or middle school classes except for some specialty middle school spaces requiring separation. Close attention was paid to flexibility, collaboration and experiential learning while also providing a professional and supportive workplace that encourages hands-on learning. The building, in keeping with 21st-century learning concepts and principles, accommodates diverse learning strategies and optimizes technology support.

Other key features include:

• Design emphasizes a healthy learning environment with access to daylight, views, good air quality and thermal comfort
• The gymnasium wing can be secured to accommodate public use outside of school hours
• Field and playgrounds are also designed to be shared with the community

The building has received LEED Gold Certification.