Douglas Park School is one of four new Canadian schools crafted to nurture Creative Age learners and support Regina Public School’s Structural Innovation initiative. FNI served as Planner and Design Architect, and the firm Number Ten served as Executive Architect for this school that accommodates 400 students, ranging from pre-kindergarten through grade 8. The facility includes a Developmental Centre, designed to help students with special needs integrate more fluidly with the rest of the student population. The design also contains site considerations for possible expansion to the east and west for a future daycare centre, as well as the potential for increased learning space should the population grow beyond the Ministry’s projections.
From the beginning, administrators, teachers, parents, students and community input has been essential to the design process. To kick off the project, FNI held an interactive presentation that shared best practice models and FNI projects from around the world that illustrate key features and design principles for 21st century learning environments. This laid the foundation for the visioning workshops that followed. The new Douglas Park School promises to be a beacon for the community, and an inspiring place for teachers and students to work and learn.