THE SCHOOLHOUSE | Dialog Architecture + Interiors

The Schoolhouse project is a major renovation of a 1930s schoolhouse, situated in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood. The 2-storey building has been transformed into a 5-townhouse complex and is the first BuiltGreen™ Platinum building in British Columbia.

The historical nature of the building meant the design team was required by the City of Vancouver to retain the original building’s frame and reuse as much of the original material as possible. The design solution included raising the house two feet to add an additional level and taking the original interior fir floors and repurposing them for the front exterior steps.

Multiple “green” initiatives were used, including geo-exchange, solar water heating, semi-permeable ground treatment, rainwater collection, climate appropriate plants, dual flush toilets, low-flow taps and shower heads, energy star appliances, energy-saving light fixtures, sustainable toxin free interior finishes, vapour barrier paint, sustainable building and construction strategies, re-use of existing building materials, natural ventilation and passive solar control.