First established in 1867 and rebuilt after the 1917 Halifax Explosion, Saint Joseph’s Alexander McKay Elementary School is a North End institution. While the post-explosion building remained structurally sound after more than a century of service, it no longer met current building codes, energy efficiency standards, or the needs of a modern school. To replace the aging facility, the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works engaged our team to provide architectural and interior design services for a new elementary school.
Community and culture are central to our compact, four-story design, with a multipurpose cafeteria, learner common, and extended learning spaces organized around a central three-story atrium. Spaces for classrooms, administration, learning, recreation, arts, library, and a rooftop play area are connected by the central atrium, open stair, and story-teller pods. Our design makes efficient use of the site while preserving valuable outdoor recreation space that includes a rooftop play area. It’s also the first newly built school in Nova Scotia to include a daycare operated by a private provider.
We worked closely with the steering team, to create a design that incorporates dedicated and flexible spaces that support Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities. From private meeting rooms to open collaboration hubs—known in the school as nests—these spaces provide a place for people to share knowledge, tell stories, and celebrate and strengthen cultural identity.
Designed to achieve a 2 Green Globes rating for environmental performance and sustainability, today this school provides a healthy, sustainable, physically and culturally safe space for students, teachers, and school personnel. It’s a modern, inclusive facility for education and community connection.
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