EMILY C. GENERAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Location
Ohsweken, ON
Client
Six Nations of the Grand River
Type
New Construction
Status
Completed 1990
Size
24,500 sf
Team
MMMC Inc. Architects, Brian Porter
The school’s exterior addresses the access road in a very straightforward manner. The interior, however, splays so that the spine of the building aligns precisely with the north/south meridian. A central skylight provides a constant reference to the rhythm of the day and the cycle of the seasons. The centrally located resource centre forms the heart of the school and is readily accessible to all classrooms.
The structural steel framework has been left exposed and is brightly painted in homage to the industry that has helped Six Nations Community to prosper.
The layering effect present in the brick veneer is meant to evoke earth “strata” rather than the typical “load bearing” imagery found in other institutional buildings.
