Owner: Lambton Kent District School Board
Location: Sarnia, Ontario
Size: 8,000 s.f.

The renovations and additions at Cathcart comprised of providing a new gym, library and four renovated classrooms. The goal was to eliminate the existing portables near the rear of the site. Building orientation was carefully considered to take advantage of day-lighting based on the path of the sun. The irregular shapes of the resource centre and gymnasium addition take their formal arrangement, not only from the existing property lines, but also mainly from the adjacent cluster of trees. The resource centre’s double-sloped roof suggests a “natural canopy” or protective shelter analogous to a forest. The library’s interior layout places an emphasis on bookshelves, with additional floor area devoted to computer stations. The focal point is the reading area circle situated in front of the large corner glass wall – allowing readers to be visually connected to the tree cluster in the northeast corner of the lot.

The project consists of two new kindergarten rooms, two new regular classrooms, a new 50’ x 70’ gymnasium and the resource centre. The gym is equipped with motorized backboards, a divisible motorized curtain, a sound system, a servery for food handling and a large raised stage.