A new school slated for construction in Anmore has already won an award.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2012 on the new state-of-the-art middle school, which has just received the prestigious Canadian Architects Award of Excellence for 2011.
"We are so excited to see this project beginning to take shape, as the steep terrain posed some significant planning challenges," said board of education chair Melissa Hyndes in a press release. "With the growing northwest corridor, a new middle school is badly needed," she added.
At its last council meeting in December, the Village of Anmore unanimously approved the process to enable School District No. 43 (Coquitlam) to begin construction of a new middle school, to be located to the north of Heritage Woods secondary school.
Anmore Mayor Heather Anderson said the facility will be a welcome addition. "This school will not only provide an exceptional educational facility for middle school students in this area, but it will also provide a daycare and much needed community use areas for Anmore residents," Anderson said.
The $23-million LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold middle school is being constructed on 10 acres with a two-tiered design, with classrooms arranged around a common elevated courtyard. Storm water will be managed through a series of bioswales and rain gardens to prevent rainwater surges into creeks. It will be the first in the district with a green roof and is expected to open in the fall of 2014.
