wək̓ʷan̓əs tə syaqʷəm Elementary School is the Vancouver School Board’s first completed school to be constructed entirely of prefabricated CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels, a material that reduces embodied carbon and makes for a calm and inspiring learning environment. The school (formerly Sir Matthew Begbie) is part of a Vancouver School Board pilot project to assess the possibilities of mass timber for future schools.
HCMA architecture + design designed the school for how children learn today. Bright, open spaces and learning communities encourage focus and collaboration, while thoughtful additions such as alcove and window seating offer moments of quiet and retreat.
With its abundant natural light and extensive use of wood, the interior has a fundamental, grounded quality, complemented by views across the site and beyond to the city and Coast Mountains.
The school’s new hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name means “the sun rising over the horizon” and was gifted by Musqueam Indian Band, who took inspiration from the Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood where the school is located and, like a sunrise, the new beginning for this school community.
“wək̓ʷan̓əs tə syaqʷəm Elementary School is a departure from the dark, insular schools of the past. Here, we have natural light and open spaces, textural and tactile surfaces, and places for learning, collaboration, play, and quiet retreat. Our goal was to design a place of learning that children deserve, where they feel comfortable, inspired to collaborate, and safe to explore, where they can play loudly in the gym, or find a quiet alcove to recharge,” said Karen Marler, principal, hcma architecture + design.
The 36,436 sq ft school accommodates 340 students and is located in a predominantly single-family residential neighbourhood in northeast Vancouver.
Exposing as much CLT as possible within the school was a key design goal. Its appearance unifies all the interior spaces, including classrooms, hallways, the library, multipurpose rooms, and gymnasium. The exposed mass timber brings the outdoors inside and connects students with nature. With Canadian mass timber as its primary structural material, the K-7 school is a showcase for how locally sourced engineered wood can both reduce embodied carbon and act as a compelling design feature.
At the centre of the four volumes, a glazed, double-height atrium forms the social heart of the school. A feature stair – including honeycomb alcove seating tucked within it – leads up to the second storey and a connecting bridge that overlooks the gathering space below.
The compact, legible cruciform floor plan divides the two-storey building into four volumes, and segments the school into smaller, defined quadrants that operate at a relatable and appropriate scale where children can feel comfortable.
Unlike more traditional school design, the floor plan opens up circulation and avoids narrow hallways. The result is a school unified by shared spaces that encourage collaboration among students and teachers.
