Post & Beam wooden construction feature predominantly in this late evening photo of the low rise Kwakiutl Wagalus School which used panelized wood and prefabrication to decrease onsite build duration

Kwakiutl Wagalus School

Location: Port Hardy, B.C.
Completion: 2016
Photo courtesy of Lubor Trubka Associates Architects

Size
1,637 square metres

Structural Engineer
CWMM Consulting Engineers Ltd.

Engineered Wood Supplier / Fabricator
Macdonald & Lawrence Timber Framing Ltd.

Structural systems
Light frame
Low rise
Panelized
Post + beam
Prefabricated

Project materials
Glue-laminated timber (Glulam)
Lumber
Millwork
Panelling
Plywood
Siding
Solid-sawn heavy timber

Species
Western red cedar
Douglas-fir
White birch
Maple
SPF

Collaborative design process to help represent Nation’s history and culture

The beauty of western red cedar is the star feature at the Kwakiutl Wagalus School, on full display in the traditional Big House style multi-purpose room, at the heart of the building.

Wood has structural value and cultural significance

The use of wood in buildings and as a part of daily life is an integral part of the heritage and culture of the Kwakiutl First Nation, at the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The Kwakiutl people consider western red cedar to be the tree of life, so it was only fitting that their new school for kindergarten to grade seven would feature western red cedar from local forests.

Special effort was made to highlight the use of wood as a prominent structural element as well as for interior and exterior finishes. The building incorporates western red cedar in posts, beams, as well as cladding, Douglas-fir for doors and windows, birch wood veneer finishes and a maple hardwood sports floor.

The architects conducted multiple design meetings with the Kwakiutl community, which helped develop the form and plan of the school, helping guide their use of wood. The chief and council, community members, elders, teachers and even future students were involved in this collaborative design process, which was critically important because all involved wanted the building to represent their history and culture.

Modern technology meets traditional form

The multi-purpose room at the heart of the building has an abundance of indirect daylight that illuminates the western red cedar walls and ceiling. The multi-purpose room consists of four cedar posts supporting four cedar beams.

Douglas-fir glue-laminated timber (glulam) purlins, or horizontal beams and I-joists, frame the striking exposed wood roof. Interior walls are clad with cedar planks that were installed vertically, a reference to the traditional cladding used in Big House architecture. The ceiling and surrounding corridors were finished with custom acoustic panels featuring high grade, kiln-dried spruce-pine-fir (SPF) turned on its edge to manage sound. Large round timbers feature prominently in the grand foyer.

Prefabrication sped up the process

The gymnasium was built from a system of prefabricated wood panels to speed up construction. It took just 19 days to erect the gym walls and nine days to install the roof, allowing crews to enclose the gym quickly and avoid exposure to rain during construction.

The lumber and Douglas-fir glulam panels were prefabricated in Mill Bay, on the southern end of Vancouver Island, and transported 450 kilometres to the site. Once on site, the panels were raised on the slab-on-grade within five days, with the partially prefabricated wood roof erected the following week.

“The natural cedar is the school’s best feature. The foyer exemplifies the living culture of the Kwakiutl, where students learn how they will contribute to their community and world at large.”

MARION HUNT, BSW, EDUCATION ADMINISTRATOR, 99 TSAKIS, KWAKIUTL BAND
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