CHILLIWACK SECONDARY SCHOOL | Dialog Architecture + Interiors

In an exemplary demonstration of leadership and cooperation, School District No. 33 and the City of Chilliwack joined together to develop a new facility that functions as an academic campus. Completed in the fall of 2013, Chilliwack Secondary School (CSS) offers a unique concentration of various community components and neighborhood of learning resources in a setting adjacent to existing school and recreation facilities. The new CSS celebrates the role that community plays in supporting education and truly reflects the growth and development of Chilliwack.

The LEED® Gold Certified project consists of building a brand new secondary school adjacent to the existing, aging facility that was in need of replacement. The new facility houses an impressive collection of traditional academic spaces, hands on industrial education shops (wood, metal, auto), a commercial grade teaching kitchen, as well as purpose built performing arts facilities (both music and drama). Two gymnasiums support indoor aspect of the physical education curriculum, while a new synthetic turf field supports an existing natural grass field for fieldbased sports. The design focusses on integrated classrooms, on-line and on-thejob education as well as to also serve as a “hub” for the larger community of Chilliwack.

The school features a Neighbourhood Learning Centre (NLC) which houses many community groups, including the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Chilliwack Community Services, the United Way, the YMCA/YWCA, Xyolhemeylh Child and Family Services, and Elder College. The Fraser Valley Distance Education School, also within the building, provides online and paper-based courses to more than 3,400 students throughout the province.