École Beausoleil Case Study

Product performance promotes QuickPanel® to the front of its class.

Strict technical requirements, a lacklustre winter climate for six+ months of the year, and a long-term performance considerations are no test for QuickPanel’s 4mm Pressure-Equalized Rainscreen System at the new Ecole Beausoleil in Okotoks, Alberta.

Design of the 33,000 square-foot francophone school, with a capacity for 225 students, was headed by BR2 Architecture, a leading Alberta-based firm recognized for providing qualitative architectural services for a wide variety of project types and sizes across the western Canadian provinces and territories.

Shaun Visser, the lead architect who carried out much of the detailed design for the project, shares that with any capital project, multiple stakeholders are involved from start to finish. His firm’s involvement with the school’s development was very hands-on throughout; however, it was important to respect the challenges and motivations of each participating stakeholder – whether those are budget, time, or otherwise.

Technical requirements outlined by the Province of Alberta1 dictate that sustainable design is top-of-mind for school and infrastructure projects, specifically the “…efficient use and choice of resources and materials in such a way as to be economical…” Furthermore, “the building envelope assemblies separate spaces requiring differing environmental conditions by controlling the flow of air, water, and energy.”

BR2 uses a metric to evaluate building material selection to fit these strict technical considerations; this metric includes variables for performance, durability, installation, and cost. QuickPanel fulfills each of the multiple prerequisites, as defined by all the project stakeholders in this case.

From an on-site perspective, Visser summarizes that “we often face problems on site that impact the aesthetic and architecture, it was so very efficient that [QuickPanel] is measured up and cut on site so we could efficiently make the necessary changes, without all the typical material waste.”

The front exterior façade of the building was animated and provided visual interest with bright blue and red QuickPanels, in combination with a sophisticated application of Silver Metallic and Aluminum Gray. Both Charcoal-painted trims and ColorMatch® trims complete the installation.

QuickPanel’s patented EZ.Slope® technology and UV protection paints minimize staining, fading, and provide revolutionary water management keep the bright QuickPanel colors looking their best year-round, and for many years to come. Ecole Beausoleil is a building that stands out and conveys a playful aesthetic for the students and community during the long, bland winter months in the classrooms on the prairies.

Long-term performance and contemplation of future maintenance costs for infrastructure projects a factors that Visser is most pleased with in the selection of the QuickPanel aluminum cladding system. “Although unlikely, if there is damage to a panel or a color change is desired, it is so easy to remove and replace a single panel even years down the road.”

The new Ecole Beausoleil welcomes students in the Fall of 2019.

To learn more about how QuickPanel provides a modern design, plus efficient material solutions for major institutional and capital projects – please contact your local sales representative for more information.

1. Alberta Infrastructure – Technical Services Branch. Technical Design Requirements for Alberta Infrastructure Facilities. February 2018 Fourth Edition. Retrieved online July 31, 2019: TechDesignRequirements.pdf