FOURTH YEAR UNDERGRADUATE
Jana Stojanovska—Minto Sustainability Award in Architectural Science
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Jana Stojanovska—Minto Sustainability Award in Architectural Science
About the Award
Minto Sustainability Award in Architectural Science:
This award is for a student in architectural science for an outstanding studio project with a focus on sustainable design.
City As School, School As City.
The New City Alternative High School in Dufferin Grove adheres to the idea of “City as School, School as City” by creating a network of interconnected places that involve the community, staff, and students. The city school offers a new curriculum by combining alternative and traditional programmes, mirrored in the symbolic use of materiality and adaptable programming spaces, in response to the outdated pedagogy of education. The form of the building was influenced by patterns of the site and by carving out a central mass to connect the old historical Dufferin Grove on the east with the new developing and dense side on the west. The atrium, being the heart of the project, carries the architectural idea, which is reflected in the rest of the building as smaller moments, denoted by materiality.
The public realm of the school is composed of the atrium with its arms extending outward to connect to the site on the ground floor. The upper storeys bleeding into the atrium remain private, yet still visually connected to the atrium to borrow light. The learning commons open up to the park, creating an indoor outdoor learning environment. Vertical louvers in the atrium that act as a passive shading system while preserving the east-west transparency. This area has adequate lighting throughout the day without being subjected to uncomfortable solar glare due to a skylight system that is protected by additional roof louvers.
The main atrium of the school was designed with biophilic concepts in mind, thus mass timber and CLT was used for the framework to allow natural elements and architectural typologies to permeate the interior. The intermediate floor envelope drawing to the left shows the exposed wood, allowing occupants to interact with the architecture. Built-in benches line the perimeter windows and columns, creating small seating pockets within the bays of the building. The HVAC system in the atrium is concealed by using the steel lungs of the school to force air into the space from the sides. Heated concrete floors with a polished finish keep the area warm without the need for heating equipment. This creates a minimalist look with only the focus on materiality and tectonics. While the aluminum louvers create privacy from the busy street without compromising view and light, they also provide a sense of enclosure and protection for students.
In Gratitude
I am deeply honored and grateful to receive the Minto Sustainability Award, and I am inspired to continue working towards a more sustainable future in architecture. Thank you for this incredible recognition.
Minto Sustainability Award in Architectural Science:
This award is for a student in architectural science for an outstanding studio project with a focus on sustainable design.
City As School, School As City.
The New City Alternative High School in Dufferin Grove adheres to the idea of “City as School, School as City” by creating a network of interconnected places that involve the community, staff, and students. The city school offers a new curriculum by combining alternative and traditional programmes, mirrored in the symbolic use of materiality and adaptable programming spaces, in response to the outdated pedagogy of education. The form of the building was influenced by patterns of the site and by carving out a central mass to connect the old historical Dufferin Grove on the east with the new developing and dense side on the west. The atrium, being the heart of the project, carries the architectural idea, which is reflected in the rest of the building as smaller moments, denoted by materiality.
The public realm of the school is composed of the atrium with its arms extending outward to connect to the site on the ground floor. The upper storeys bleeding into the atrium remain private, yet still visually connected to the atrium to borrow light. The learning commons open up to the park, creating an indoor outdoor learning environment. Vertical louvers in the atrium that act as a passive shading system while preserving the east-west transparency. This area has adequate lighting throughout the day without being subjected to uncomfortable solar glare due to a skylight system that is protected by additional roof louvers.
The main atrium of the school was designed with biophilic concepts in mind, thus mass timber and CLT was used for the framework to allow natural elements and architectural typologies to permeate the interior. The intermediate floor envelope drawing to the left shows the exposed wood, allowing occupants to interact with the architecture. Built-in benches line the perimeter windows and columns, creating small seating pockets within the bays of the building. The HVAC system in the atrium is concealed by using the steel lungs of the school to force air into the space from the sides. Heated concrete floors with a polished finish keep the area warm without the need for heating equipment. This creates a minimalist look with only the focus on materiality and tectonics. While the aluminum louvers create privacy from the busy street without compromising view and light, they also provide a sense of enclosure and protection for students.
In Gratitude
I am deeply honored and grateful to receive the Minto Sustainability Award, and I am inspired to continue working towards a more sustainable future in architecture. Thank you for this incredible recognition.
