Blackie Modernization

I would also definitely recommend adding a small sink to each of the accessible washroom stalls in the main washroom area. People with disabilities and young girls entering puberty would appreciate a sink to clean up in privacy. A communal bank of shared sinks may not be the most ideal situation for all users. Designing with consideration for diverse user needs in this area would give people dignity and respect which reinforces a welcoming and caring environment.

Consider adding additional door to copy room for easy access from admin entrance. Visually it looks like there could be bottleneck and tight traffic flow down the hall to the copy room door. Depending on equipment and actual room layout this may not be relevant.

Relocate door to counselling /wrap office further down the hall. This creates more privacy and allows for better furniture configuration in the office space. By removing the space needed for the in-swing door, it would increase usable area in the room and allow for some soft seating.

Possibly relocate gym entrance doors. By locating the doors on either side of the large lobby/gathering area it would allow for a major focal point to be front and center when you enter the building, whether it's some furniture with a TV on the wall, large christmas tree etc. Ticket tables for event nights could be set up front and center which would create a friendly welcoming entrance. In light of covid, it would also create distance for in-out flow to the gym with greater separation. Looking at it from the gym side, it would allow for padding against the wall directly below the basketball hoop with reduced hazard of students crashing the doors. Visitors would also not be entering the gym directly below a busy basketball key area.

Boot room / winter boot storage. We have winter for many months a year so I question where the winter boots are located. Do students enter through the front doors? If they enter from the SW entrance it may be advantageous to relocate the one classroom door and move the hall doors to create a larger boot-room entrance. It would help keep the hallway visually clean and also keep the mess of winter boots contained.

I would also highly recommend adding one or two small breakout rooms for LLI groups and/or EA support. We need lots of small spaces for EA's to work with students. The plan at Blackie does not really have any support spaces. In addition to the staff prep room, one small support room could be added in the library area as well. You could also turn one of the small gym storage rooms into a support space. There seems to be lots of storage rooms within the school but very limited support spaces. As diverse needs seem to be increasing, having a couple support rooms would be a huge asset.

I would recommend adding a staff prep room. Based on my experience, we have a small conference room that was repurposed into a staff prep room. It is a highly utilized space that allows teachers/EA's/Youth development coaches a quiet space with a computer to prep, plan and work uninterupted. You could decrease the size of the library and shift the breakout/meeting room to the windows to create space for this. These room would be spaces that are utilized every day, and have minimal impact on the overall size of the library.