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Case Study | 1
CASE STUDY:
REGINA PUBLIC SCHOOL’S STRUCTURAL INNOVATION INITIATIVE
AND 10-YEAR RENEWAL PLAN
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Cover, Top and bottom photos © Alan Karchmer
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Described as some of the most structurally and pedagogically
innovative learning facilities in Canada, Douglas Park School,
Arcola Community School, and Seven Stones Community
School within Regina Public Schools (RPS) are paving the way
for educational excellence nationwide.
The three new schools are designed to nurture and engage
Creative Age learners and support RPS’s Structural Innovation
Initiative.
“We hadn’t built a school in Regina for more than 12 years,”
explains Ron Christie, General Manger, Educational Facilities,
RPS. “A lot had changed. Nobody was really familiar with what
the best practices were. We knew our student achievement
rates had not been moving. We knew that students were not
engaged with their learning and that our dropouts were not
improving. So we knew that we had to do things differently.”
Best Practices and Design Patterns in
Learning
To kick off the project, Fielding Nair International (FNI), planner
and design architect for the new schools, held an interactive
presentation on “Design for the Creative Age” to share global
best practices in learning and design principles for 21st
century educational environments. This laid the foundation
for visioning workshops in which students, teachers, parents,
and RPS leaders shared their thoughts through discussions
and a “carousel” activity where attendees moved around
the room, posting their ideas and discussing other people’s
ideas. Everyone’s ideas were then tabulated into a written and
illustrated Discovery Report.
Another key benchmark for each community included Design
Pattern workshops. Tables of eight students, teachers, and
parents then developed their own key patterns from two
perspectives.
“The first approach was from the inside out, relating to
the individual learner’s perspective,” says Randall Fielding,
Founding Partner and Principal-in-Charge, FNI. “The second
part involved design patterns from the outside in, relating to
the neighborhoods, climate, and individual site opportunities
and constraints. We then discussed our work and came to
a consensus on the most important approaches to learning,
architecture, and site design.”
Onsite curriculum-mapping workshops allowed teachers to
weigh in on the arrangement of spaces and to continue a
dialogue about the integration of learning and the physical
environments.
A More Student-Focused Environment
During all of these best practice and design pattern
workshops, it came through loud and clear that everyone
was ready to move away from a lot of isolated classrooms
and corridors to a more flexible and varied model. “The
schools incorporate seven design principles that everyone
agreed are essential for successful student engagement
What 21st Century
Learning Looks Like
“The first approach was from the inside out, relating
to the individual learner’s perspective.”
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and outcomes,” says Christie. These principles are:
• Flexible teaching arrangements and instructional
grouping
• Teacher collaboration
• Interdisciplinary, project-based, and inquiry-based
teaching and learning
• Inclusive practices
• Safe and secure personal learning communities
• A stimulus-and technology-rich environment
• Integrated environmental design and curriculum
Each school is built around three Personal Learning
Communities: pre-K through 2, grades 3-5, and grades 6-8.
Each community has between 75 and 150 students along
with their teachers, “allowing students to develop a strong
connection to a group of peers and adults where everyone
knows your name,” explains Fielding.
In each community, learning studios and learning suites are
organized around common areas with a direct connection to
the outside, as well as wet and messy and soft seating areas.
Each community also includes a teacher collaboration room,
encouraging communication between professionals.
Learning Communities in each school are further organized
around a larger, central commons, the heart of each school,
which faces south to maximize light and vistas.
Ultimate Flexibility
Because the Personal Learning Communities support diverse
learning activities simultaneously student presentations,
teacher lectures, project-based learning, small group learning,
individual research, and technology-based learning the
Furniture Selection Committee opted for a versatile
assortment of VS furniture.
“What VS offered us was the ultimate in flexibility,” explains
Christie. “The classroom is just a box, and the most important
“The classroom is just a box, and the most important thin
we were never going to achieve any of our seven princip
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Photo © Patricia Holdsworth
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thing you put into it is the furniture. If we didn’t have the
right furniture, we were never going to achieve any of
our seven principles, especially the primary one of flexible
teaching arrangements.
“Anytime we heard from teachers and administrators, it was
always the flexibility of the classroom, how can we make
it more flexible. The beauty of VS is that they recognized
all that,” adds Christie. “We demonstrated, evaluated and
sampled all these different manufacturers from across the
country and hands down everyone selected the VS furniture.”
“VS furniture,” says Fielding, “perfectly matches the
architecture by providing a broad variety of ergonomic
products to support all the multiple learning modalities. They
are built to last with thoughtful detailing. As designers we
feel confident that VS furnishings will still function well many
years into the future.”
Series 2000 mobile folding screens provide spatial definition
ng you put into it is the furniture. If we didn’t have the right furniture,
ples, especially the primary one of flexible teaching arrangements.”
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LiteTable FlipTable PantoSwing Series 2000 PantoMove RondoLift Series 600
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for a variety of learning spaces. High-quality casters make
them easy to fold away when one large space is needed.
Tackable on one side with a whiteboard on the other
side, Series 2000 screens also give teachers and students
multipurpose display space.
Series 600 open and lockable storage modules not only
house books and supplies, they can also be rolled around the
classrooms to divide the learning studios into multiple smaller
spaces when needed, say for different work groups or testing.
Quick change
Recognizing that if teachers couldn’t easily change the
furniture around to suit different learning activities, they
wouldn’t, the Furniture Selection Committee chose an array
of VS mobile tables.
FlipTables have roomy and easy-to-clean six-foot tops. When
extra room is needed, the tops tilt up via a quick-release
mechanism for compact, nested storage.
“Everybody in our school division wants the FlipTables. They
love them because they make achieving flexible arrangements
effortless,” says Christie.
The LiteTables are also popular. Extraordinarily strong and
durable, they are light enough that students can quickly move
them together for small group learning activities or stack
them up and out of the way for large group events.
RondoLift sit-stand tables let students choose between sitting
and standing throughout the school day, which encourages
healthy movement. They’re easy and safe for even younger
students to use, lifting and lowering effortlessly via a built-in
gas spring with release lever.
Computer friendly, Network tables have segmented channels
that unsnap from the frame so cables can be laid in and then
snap back into place. Optional front and side modesty panels
give the tables a desk-like appearance.
Additionally, the committee selected height-adjustable Uno-M
Step and Ergo-III tables for student desks. Uno-M features
step height adjustment with hexagon key locking. Ergo-III
allows continuous height adjustment via a crank handle. Both
have a wire bookshelf and backpack hook.
FlipTable PantoMove RondoLift Series 600
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“The teachers can’t get enough of the Hokki stools.
Hokki Uno-M-Step PantoSwing MyCaddy
Photos © Gerry Kopelow
Teachers use MyCaddy stand-at modules that they can roll
from learning activity to learning activity throughout the day.
Castered and lockable, MyCaddy features open and adjustable
shelves, a materials drawer, a dual handle/coat hanger, and a
spacious worksurface for laptops.
Value in Movement
When it comes to seating, PantoSwing-LuPo and PantoMoveLuPo chairs are used everywhere. Both promote movement
and changes in posture which research shows has a positive
effect on student learning.
The PantoSwing-LuPo is a forward-flexing chair (available
in six different heights) that supports two key postures: a
relaxed posture when the backrest is utilized, usually when
a student is listening or reading, and a forward posture that
supports students while sitting and working at a desk or table.
The PantoMove-LuPo adjusts up and down, swivels and rocks,
letting students change their sitting position throughout the
day.
“Growing bodies have a natural need to move,” explains
Dr. Dieter Breithecker, Europe’s foremost expert on the
relationship between ergonomic design in educational
furniture and the physical development of school children.
“Increased opportunities to move while seated improve blood
flow and oxygen to the brain, thereby increasing attention
and concentration levels.”
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And the kids just love sitting on them.”
“Dr. Breithecker came in several times to talk to us about
ergonomics and the value in movement and how it balances
mind, body, and soul,” says Christie.
Additionally, primary grade teachers have PantoMove-VF
KiGa swivel chairs with special height-range adjustment. The
KiGa model is designed specifically for use in pre-K through
2 learning environments and has an exceptionally wide range
of stepless height adjustment from adult seat height all the
way down to children’s height levels. At the same time, it
offers the comfort of an adult-sized upholstered seat shell.
“The ergonomic design of the PantoMove KiGa chair is
really something,” says Christie. “It allows teachers to sit
comfortably as they work individually with students rather
than having to crouch down or kneel on the floor.”
Freely shaped Puzzle tables and wiggle friendly Hokki stools
are also big hits in the pre-K through 2 learning communities.
“The teachers can’t get enough of the Hokki stools. They are
far superior to anything that’s out there. Every teacher who
sees them wants them,” enthused Christie. “And the kids just
love sitting on them.”
Special Spaces
The school commons acts as the heart of each school, unifying
the three personal learning communities and allowing them
to expand and borrow space as needed. Like a theatre or stage
Club Lounge RondoLift SitzCouch
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“The students really appreciate the furniture we chose,
especially the seating. They’ve actually come to us and
thanked us for building such beautiful schools.”
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for learning, the commons can be rearranged to accommodate
all school meetings, performances, and films. Cloud beanbags
and pouffes, ClubLounge chairs, and SitzCouch elements
provide comfortable seating arrangements.
“What we like about the lounge furniture is the durability.
We haven’t had any issues with seams splitting or the fabric
wearing out,” says Christie. “We also like that it’s at the same
height as the tables. It’s not too low to pull a 28” high table
to it,” says Christie.
Developmental Centers accommodate students with special
needs to help better integrate them with the mainstream.
“We found that the type of furniture that these students
really use a lot of are more the fixed-type desks,” Christie
explains. “We used the Duo-Tec tables because they have
enough adjustability to them due to the inclining top. We
also used lots of Cloud beanbags because these kids are very
tactile; they really love how the beanbags feel.”
In the DaVinci Arts and Science Studio, Series 8000 cupboards
have built-in compartments for storing musical instruments,
while Series 600 provides plastic bins, adjustable shelves, and
drawers for sorting and holding art supplies.
High Marks All Around
Reaction to the new schools has been overwhelmingly
positive.
“The students really appreciate the furniture we chose,
especially the seating. They’ve actually come to us and
thanked us for building such beautiful schools,” says Christie.
Teachers also give the new facilities an A-plus, saying things
like: “It’s just amazing. Every time I walk in I feel so fortunate
to be able to work in this school.”
And, at the grand opening of Arcola Community School,
Regina Board of Education Chairperson Katherine Gagne
described the new school as “a great example of how our
schools can meet the needs of students and their community
today and well into the future.”
Photo © Patricia Holdsworth
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Project Profile:
Regina Public School’s
Structural Innovation Initiative
and 10-Year Renewal Plan
Project Team:
Educational Planner & Design Architect:
Fielding Nair International
- Randall Fielding, Founding Partner &
Principal-in-Charge, RPS projects
- Isaac Williams, Principal, Washington,
DC Studio for Design
- Chris Hazelton, Senior Educational Planner for
Education Integration and Curriculum Mapping
- Jennifer Lamar, Senior Interior Designer for
Interiors and Furnishings
Executive Architect for Douglas Park School:
Number TEN Architectural Group
- Greg Hasiuk, Partner
Executive Architect for Arcola Community School:
P3Architecture Partnership
- James Youck, Principal and Architect
- Vanessa Keilback, Project Architect
- Sarah Turnbull, Lead Interior Designer
Executive Architect for Seven Stones Community School:
Number TEN Architectural Group
- Greg Hasiuk, Partner
Regina Public Schools Furniture Selection Committee:
- Ron Christie, General Manger Education Facilities
- Darren Boldt, Superintendent
- Morgan Reed, Superintendent
- Mike Walter, Deputy Director
- Dixie Nelson, Principal of Douglas Park School
- Allen Wills, Principal (retired), Arcola Community School
- Jay Fladager, Principal
- Lori Daelick, Vice Principal
- Melanie Little, Vice Principal
- Joanne Patron, Teacher
- Carol Hart, Librarian
- Brenda Whittam-Neary, Special Needs Consultant
- Deb Christie, Interior Designer, P3Architecture Partnership
Key Design Principles:
- Flexible teaching arrangements and instructional grouping
- Teacher collaboration
- Interdisciplinary, project-based, and inquiry-based
teaching and learning
- Inclusive practices for special needs students
- Safe and secure personal learning communities
- A stimulus-and technology-rich environment
- Integrated environmental design and curriculum
Applications:
- Common areas
- DaVinci Arts and Science Studio
- Developmental Centre
- Learning studios and suites
- Media Resource Centre
- Music room
- Teacher collaboration and workrooms
Project Scope:
Four new schools in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, designed
to nurture Creative Age learners and support Regina Public
School’s Structural Innovation initiative.
- Douglas Park School: 400 students; 60,000 sq. ft.
- Arcola Community School: 415 students; 48,000 sq. ft.
- Seven Stones Community School: 357 students;
49,902 sq.ft.
- North Central Shared Facility: TBD
Completion Dates:
- Douglas Park School: September 2012
- Arcola Community School: November 2012
- Seven Stones Community School: Set to open
2014-2015
- North Central Shared Facility: TBD
Products:
- PantoSwing-LuPo Chairs
- PantoMove-LuPo Chairs
- PantoMove-VF Chairs
- PantoMove-VF KiGa Chairs Swivel chair with special
height-range
- Cloud Beanbags and Pouffes
- ClubLounge Elements
- Hokki Stools
- SitzCouch Elements
- Ergo-lll Skid Tables
- Duo-Tec Drawing Tables
- FlipTables
- LiteTables
- Network Tables
- Puzzle Tables
- RondoLift Tables
- Uno-M Step Tables
- MyCaddy Stand-at Modules
- Series 600 Storage Modules
- Series 2000 Mobile Folding Screens
- Series 8000 Cupboard/Music Room Storage
- Mobile Whiteboards
Awards & Recognition:
Douglas Park School:
- LEED Gold Certification by the Canada Green Building
Council
- Finalist for the prestigious Council of Educational
Facility Planners International’s James D. MacConnell
Award
Arcola Community School:
- People’s Choice Award from the Council of
Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI)
Pacific North West Conference
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VS America, Inc.:
1940 Abbott Street
Charlotte, NC 28203
Phone: 704-378-6500
Fax: 704-378-6005
info@vs-charlotte.com
www.vs-network.com
Art-No. 45-057-18, V03, 10.2010
Art-No. CSREGINA 9-15-2014 V01
VS America, Inc.:
1940 Abbott Street
Charlotte, NC 28203
Phone: 704-378-6500
Fax: 704-378-6005
info@vs-charlotte.com
www.vs-network.com
facebook.com/vsamericainc
