Newton’s Grove School in Mississauga was in a period of transition. Displaced in temporary locations, the school moved into its new permanent location in December 2017.

As an institution, the school places an emphasis on transparency, the use of books and face-to-face interaction with its students. It was a philosophy that informed every aspect of the renovation, a unique transformation of an existing two-storey industrial building into a progressive private school for kindergarten to grade 12 students.

mcCallumSather’s scope included modifications to the exterior envelope, new interior layout and master plan for full site redevelopment including air supported structure and exterior tennis courts. Additionally, we provided schematic design for the extensive renovation to a portion of the existing 3-storey building for an athletic based commercial school. We worked closely with the stakeholders throughout the project to tailor the space to its specific teaching philosophy. This included a review of the owner’s needs plus a site and building audit. We led the building permit process and assisted with the approvals by authorities, interior design, value engineering, contract administration and warranty review.

Having determined that we would retain the existing building floor plate and structure, we designed to fit a completely different programme from what the building was originally constructed. We prioritized the use of natural light and transparency, taking advantage of the double height corridors to provide daylighting for the ground floor with interior glazing to transfer daylighting to the interior spaces. This serves a double purpose, giving everyone transparency, with sightlines throughout the corridors, study areas.