Photo: Lindsay Reid
Located in one of Winnipeg?s newest and expanding neighbourhoods at 1575 Templeton Avenue, the Amber Trails Community School in the Seven Oaks School Division officially received LEED Platinum designation on December 7th, 2016. This is the first school in Manitoba to be certified LEED Platinum, and only the second in Canada following the lead of the Dr. David Suzuki Public School in Windsor, Ontario.
Built with provincial funding through the Public Schools Finance Board and guided by the principles of the Seven Oaks School Division to reduce overall operating costs, the school has achieved an overall energy use reduction of 68 per cent less than a model building, exceeding energy use expectations while simultaneously achieving over 60 per cent water reduction (10 per cent over the estimated savings). Originally targeting LEED Gold; geothermal heating, in-floor heating, and efficient lighting fixtures further helped reduce the energy needs of the school and achieve higher certification. Photo: Lindsay Reid
Prairie Architects Inc. worked with the Public Schools Finance Board and Seven Oaks School Division in the design of the school as a sustainable prototype for other similar schools in Winnipeg. The new school is situated in the heart of the community, and challenges existing paradigms about school design and creates exciting new visions for education. The design focused on creating a comfortable inclusive environment; with a welcoming entrance, which en...