As Vancouver’s largest Jewish elementary school, Vancouver Talmud Torah accommodates preschool programs, kindergarten, and grades 1 through 7. The plan to redevelop addressed the multiple spatial and infrastructure constraints that hindered the existing building. The renewed school welcomed students to a collaborative and project-based learning environment, where they will acquire skills paramount to the 21st century.
A significant structural challenge for Glotman•Simpson was the requirement for classrooms above the gymnasium. To achieve the long, uninterrupted 75-foot span over top of the gymnasium, we designed a series of storey deep Virendeel trusses constructed out of structural steel, which support the classroom level as well as the playfield roof. We worked closely with Acton Ostry to coordinate the layout of the vertical truss elements to coincide with the classroom walls and corridors. Each of the three large trusses was shipped in three sections and connected together on-site. Collaboration was also achieved on the contractor’s side by working closely with the steel fabricator to ensure that the erection process was smooth and seamless.