ARCHITEM architecture firm Wolff Shapiro Kuskowski has designed an innovative residence for school students at Bishop’s College School (BCS), near Sherbrooke, Quebec. The new building, called Mitchell Family House, overlooks the 100-year-old campus on the banks of the St. Francis River. BCS is a private boarding school for 270 students from 37 countries.
Sustainability was a central theme of the project. It therefore features highly efficient mechanical systems and triple-glazed windows, as well as prefabricated insulated wall panels on the outside. The residence is connected to the campus’ central geothermal system for the building’s heating and cooling needs.
Special attention has been paid to water management on the site thanks to the building’s steep roof. As it reaches the ground, rainwater is channelled into two retention basins to prevent it from reaching the natural forest areas. Surface runoff is also conveyed into the basins to protect the bank of the St. Francis River from erosion. The site has also undergone a "re-naturalisation” process, with the reintroduction of native trees, ferns and shrubs to blend in with the natural environment.
