A year and a half after breaking ground, Grace Christian School in Millgrove, Ontario, opened its doors last September – right in time for the new school year.
The brand-new school is the result of an amalgamation between Burlington’s John Calvin Christian School and Flamborough’s Covenant Christian School, which was demolished to make way for the new facility.
As a private school funded by donations, the Grace Christian School board of directors considered many options before selecting tilt-up construction as the most cost-effective building method.
“When it comes to schools, tilt-up offers a saving of approximately 15 percent over traditional construction methods,” explains Tiltwall Ontario’s Len Overbeek.
Those initial savings continue long term, as tilt-up’s exceptional energy efficiency will reduce the school’s energy consumption by around 30 percent each year, he adds.
The school’s volunteer construction management team worked with Tiltwall Ontario to further reduce construction costs, an approach made possible thanks to the simplicity of the tilt-up building method, says Overbeek.
The school’s Facebook page allowed parents and students to share in the excitement as the new facility took shape, sharing progress from the groundbreaking in April 2016 to the completion last summer.
Thin brick was used on part of the exterior to give Grace Christian a traditional feel, while stained concrete was used on other areas to create a contemporary contrast.
Inside, the 25,000-square-foot building features a bright interior with wide hallways, 10 modern classrooms, a gymnasium, and a special education room.
The school welcomed around 190 students last fall, but can comfortably accommodate up to 250 students from junior kindergarten to Grade 8.
The quality and durability of concrete and tilt-up construction should ensure that Grace Christian School is able to welcome generations of students to come.
Tilt Wall Ontario is a sub-contractor committed to bringing a superior building product to the Ontario construction industry since 2001, www.tiltwall.ca.
