The new Soraya Hafez school will be Edmonton Public Schools' first venture into the McConachie neighbourhood, providing room for 650 new students. The exterior is simple, yet engaging and attractive to compliment the surrounding developing neighbourhood. The utilization of vibrant coloured metal panels gives the school some cheerful character.
The school’s basis will be rooted in play and exploration; being an elementary school scale played a vital role in the interior design of the structure. The interior materials selected are warm and inviting, these materials allow for comfortable learning and playful spaces.
The Soraya Hafez K-6 School was part of a package of two Edmonton Public Schools utilizing an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method. In this method architects, engineers, owners, contractors, and subtrades worked in unison to design and complete the construction phase. The IPD method was combined with a strong desire to anchor the school in 21st Century learning and design principles. These two priorities have led to an efficient and rich design approach rooted in collaboration and team coordination which has allowed for both Thelma Chalifoux junior high and Soraya Hafez elementary to be designed and completed in tandem.
The intent of this project was to create a 21st century school that was open and flexible for today’s students learning, while also keeping the school on budget. Great care was taken to be fully engaged, collaborative and present the best options available to our team.
