Du Buisson elementary school

The goal of this project was to add 10 classes, including two for preschool students (age 4), a gymnasium, and support rooms. This 1967 building, constructed in the Brutalist style, is ascribed to Jean-Marie Roy, a leading figure in Quebec’s Modern architecture movement. Concrete is omnipresent in both cladding and the structure.

The school stands out for its sloped side roofs that overhang concrete extensions set on a regular frame. The side structures house the classrooms, while the centre includes large common areas and a sports complex. To honour the heritage value of the original work, additions were built as an extension to the existing plan (at the front and back of the building), and all the original features was left intact, visible, and unaltered.

The new rear section retains the pitched roof. The front extension consists of a brick base topped by a glazed volume that juxtaposes nicely with the existing building. It includes common areas such as the learning centre, daycare, and a multipurpose room. The artfully revamped main facade, with its elegantly smooth reflective surface, stands out as the building’s new signal element. The transparency of the materials contrasts with and enhances the rough and textured appearance of the concrete.