Cowichan Secondary School Replacement Project

The proposed Cowichan Secondary Replacement School will replace the existing school on a site formerly occupied by municipal baseball fields adjacent to the Cowichan Community Centre, Cowichan Aquatic Centre, and Vancouver Island University (collectively known as Cowichan Place) in Duncan. The Cowichan Secondary Replacement School is expected to include:

a new school of approximately 11,975 m² (gross area) including:
capacity for 1,100 students, grades 10 – 12, with future expansion capability to 1,500 students; and
a Neighbourhood Learning Centre (705 m²) comprised of:
- Health and Wellness Centre
- Indigenous Language and Cultural Centre.

The Facility will be designed to have a classroom capacity for 1,100 students and will identify areas for future classroom expansion to a capacity of 1,500 students. Core areas of the Facility, such as hallways and gymnasium, will be designed and built to accommodate a capacity of 1,500 students.

The Project objectives include:

Indigenous themes should be prominent and integrated into the fabric of the school and grounds respecting the influence of the Indigenous culture of the community and recognizes the unceded traditional territory of the Cowichan Tribes on which it is located
21^st Century Learning – forward-thinking education
the exterior should incorporate natural and sustainable areas for activities such as walking trails, amphitheatre seating, and biodiverse opportunities for environmental outdoor learning;
the outdoors should be drawn in, and the interior should lead to the outside;
health and movement should be celebrated and encouraged;
all spaces, including circulation, should be conducive to active and reflective learning;
learning and activity spaces should be open to views;
the school should be a place that draws people together; and
the school and grounds should align with the Cowichan Place general theme outlined in the University Village Local Area Plan.

Client:	Cowichan Valley School District
Project Cost:	The total anticipated construction budget is approximately $74.0 million and the total project budget allocation is $82.1 million.
Partner:	TBD
Project Status:	In procurement
Project Website:	Cowichan Valley School District (sd79.bc.ca)
Project Image:

Milestones

Request for Qualifications issued	July 7, 2020
Request for Qualifications closed	Sept. 10, 2020
Request for Proposals issued	January 14, 2021
Contract award	Fall 2021
Construction to begin	Anticipated Fall 2021
Construction completed	Spring 2024

Project Contacts

Catherine Silman
Infrastructure BC
Email: Catherine.Silman@infrastructurebc.com

Cowichan Secondary School Replacement Project