The principal and vice principal of Eric Langton Elementary took a virtual tour of the new building as the school replacement project enters a new phase of construction.
In a video posted to YouTube by SD42, principal Kyla Cameron and vice principal Meghan Murden donned virtual reality goggles, while walking – virtually – around the new school.
"Oh my goodness, the view is beautiful," said Murden, while checking out a primary classroom.
"We've got a nice storage over there with some cupboards. A nice white board area. And really tall windows with seating in front of it which is gorgeous," she added.
Construction of the new school is nearing a new milestone.
According to an update by SD42, the excavation work is almost complete and the site is almost ready to put in the foundation for the new building.
Currently construction crews are excavating to lay out the underground utilities and services for things like sewer, water, electrical and data lines.
Concrete shear walls have also been erected on the site which will provide seismic restraint and will limit building movement during earthquakes.
All of the shear walls are expected to be in place by mid-January, according to the school district, when structural steel work is set to begin.
The steel superstructure will connect to the shear walls to provide support for the floors, walls, and roof.
The new school will have a capacity for 680 students – an additional 215 seats – an is expected to cost $48.9 million with the province contributing $46.4 million and the other $2.5 million coming from the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows School District.
Katzie First Nation has also been brought into the design process to advise on elements that reflect the Indigenous ways of knowing, like the importance of storytelling, traditional ecological knowledge, and local teachings, in order to establish a connection between the school and the land.
The school is going to be built to LEED gold standards, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a globally recognized certification.
A neighbourhood learning centre will also be included in the seismic replacement and expansion project, which will be used to provide services, such as child care, and for community groups to deliver support services and programming in Maple Ridge.
