Aspen View Public Schools released the conceptual designs of the Athabasca’s new high school on Dec. 12.
“It’s great to see the excitement grow as the plans are nearing completion,” said trustee Nancy Sand, “and knowing the shovels will soon be in the ground.”
The school board decided to replace the almost 70-year-old building in 2012, when the provincial government pledged to replace 50 schools in the province. In early 2014, the then-infrastructure minister Ric McIver announced the approval of the replacement.
February 2015 saw the actual beginning of the project, when their grant funding was approved and by October, the schematic diagrams were finished.
The project has been in the actual design phase since April, though, with representatives from all aspects of school life, including students, working on everything from the floor plan to, more recently, where the Wi-Fi hubs will be.
When the school division released the conceptual design a couple weeks ago, it showed just how close to the end that process is.
“It was amazing to be part of a group focusing on a goal to ensure we end with a fabulous facility, not only for our students but for our community,” said Annie Karczmarczyk, a parent representative.
“This school is exactly what our community needs, not only for our students today, but for the future students and community to be a part of.”
The school, itself, was designed to be open concept with a two-storey library and large windows throughout the building.
“It will be a much more comfortable place to be, inside and out,” said EPC assistant principal Sean Morrison.
“Each end of the main corridor is a glass wall — the amount of natural light in this building is going to be phenomenal.”
“(The conceptual design) shows you the feel of the school,” added Aspen View Supt. Mark Francis.
“It’s very open, a lot of windows. (That’s) the idea. Part of the design build is we now go to a builder and they come in with ideas on colours, on window design, this is conceptual design.”
If all went according to plan, the actual building of Athabasca’s new high school went out to tender earlier this week.
“We want it out by Christmas,” said Francis. “However, we are waiting on a government department (to do the final approvals) and we will see.”
