Vellore Village Complex

Narratives

Architect Narrative

This project is representative of a highly complex client-building program that translates those needs into a unique and innovative solution. Developed within the heart of a new suburban community, the needs of each of our client groups are combined in a multi-use facility that includes a community centre, aquatic centre, community-park and a secondary school as a single complex. This facility is strategically placed at the centre of two emerging communities and is representative of a “one-stop” educational and recreational location. Building on the notion that public institutions should work together to provide maximum services in one location for the broadest possible clientele.

This is the first project undertaken in the City that combines the needs of a public education institution with the community and recreational needs of an entire City precinct. By capitalizing on the ability to expand the usual range of services offered by the individual partners through pooling resources and activities thereby increasing the amount of useable/programmable open space for school, community centre and park users. Each component of the complex is being designed to allow for future expansion, instructional spaces designed to accommodate a growing student population without necessarily having to utilize portables. The success of this project can be attributed to the management and listening skills of our team on a project where there was an opportunity to explore and develop new concepts in secondary school design.

As our client provided a particularly unique vision for this project, our team was charged with the mandate to provide innovative solutions to satisfy these goals, keeping in mind that the cultures and mandates of the two client organizations were quite different and some times at odds with each other. We chose to focus and develop the common goals of the partners in a highly consultative and collaborative fashion. By utilizing a clearly defined Work Plan that emphasized community and user consultation from the onset. As a means of starting off the project, a Design Charette was held, attended by over 50 persons comprised of politicians, trustees, administration, ratepayers, teachers and students. Building on this wealth of ideas, our team then developed them further and created several different design concepts presented to the Clients representatives and the community at large through a series of open public meetings during the design process. Based on the feedback received from these meetings, it became evident that clear preferences were emerging resulting in the design of an optimal, efficient and effective public space.

A variety of efficiencies were achieved including the ability to reduce the overall size of the built facility by sharing use of certain spaces such as the gymnasia, library, cafeteria, special instructional spaces and meeting rooms. By recognizing the staggered use times and sharing of parking we were able to reduce the total amount of overall development, resulting in substantial cost savings while preserving public open space within the park.