JULIE PAYETTE PUBLIC SCHOOL (MCFARLANE PUBLIC SCHOOL)

Completion Date: September 2011
Owner: Durham District School Board

This school is a two storey French Immersion School in downtown Whitby for 663 students. It provides for 25 classrooms, 2 kindergarten classrooms and 3 specialty classrooms. The school incorporates several green design initiatives that includes the Durham District School Board's first green roof, "cool" roofing using dolomite gravel, permeable paving, exterior sunscreens, Solera glazing and fritted glazing. Low flow fixtures allow for water efficiency and energy is saved through natural daylight and lighting controls, an automated HVAC system and energy efficient mechanical equipment. The school's green roof is located in view of the Environmental Classroom and in such becomes an interactive teaching tool for the students. A two and half storey atrium allows natural light to penetrate the building interior. It creates for a welcoming entry foyer into the building and illuminates the library on the ground floor and the classrooms on the second floor. The large exterior and interior windows into the classroom spaces will eliminate the need for artificial light even on cloudy days. The site planning was specifically designed to preserve the existing mature trees on site. The two Kindergarten classrooms especially benefit from this, as an existing grove of trees was accommodated in the Kindergarten exterior play area to provide children with shade.