Avinash Garde, Partner 

Gerry Cullen, Halton District School Board Facilities Director says, “We give Snyder all of our difficult projects”.  This was one such project – highly risky in terms of cost, schedule and health and safety issues compounded by complex planning issues requiring obtuse approvals.

The Georgetown District High School was built over a century with numerous accretionary additions over time and the goal was to renew and re-imagine the school while it continued to be occupied. We employed Architect Managed Project (AMP) delivery in order to meet GDHS’ complex design and construction imperatives.  

Architecturally, the objective was to reorganize various existing program spaces, carry out a major systems retrofit, build a new addition and re-brand the image of the school. Construction was spread over three phases  and two and half years.  As both Architect and Construction Manager, we were able to deliver this work on budget, without compromising a single school day.

The program included renovated science labs, classrooms, a theatre program, music and communications tech lab and renovated administration areas. Barrier- free compliance and upgraded mechanical / electrical systems also constituted part of the design brief.

The design was configured to provide a sorely lacking student forum surrounded by student centric activities like the cafeteria, music, food school and the theatre program thereby creating a new focus for the facility and helping revitalize the school community. The intention was to create a student friendly environment enjoyed between and after classes, in an interdisciplinary academic and tech school. A Special Needs/ Life Skills program and facility was integrated in the school to keep these students and families in the neighbourhood.