Citadel High School

Citadel High School, designed to replace both Queen Elizabeth and Saint Patrick’s, opened in September 2007. Its location is adjacent to the Halifax Common and immediately west of Citadel Hill, a National Historic Site from which the school derives its name. In designing Citadel High, BMR strove to combine the past with the present, creating a modern, environmentally responsible facility that manages to retain important parts of its history. For example, many architectural elements of the two previous high schools (as well as the site’s former community college) needed to be incorporated into the construction process: glass blocks, refurbished bleacher seating, sandstone banding and even original wooden doors. With a nod to the past, we then proceeded to build one of the most impressive education facilities in the province, featuring a 10,500 square foot gymnasium, 4,800 square foot cafeteria, 3,000 square foot library and an 825-seat auditorium. In addition, significant ‘green’ elements were added to the 3-level school in an effort to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.

Key Points

• Serves more than 1300 students each year
• Winner of architectural design competition
• LEED Certified (distinguishing building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting the highest performance standards)
• Green' components: sod roof, rainwater-flush toilets, Low-E glazing
• ThermoPlastic roofing and various recycled construction materials
• Critical location with proximity to Citadel Hill

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