Quebec City nunnery resows garden into school playground

by brittney_cutler_2 | February 1, 2022 3:43 pm

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The Ursuline Monastery of Old Quebec City has redeveloped part of its historic gardens as a playground for the elementary school run by its sisterhood.

This historic site has been dedicated to education since the arrival of a missionary group of Ursuline nuns in 1639, bringing different phases to its evolution.

In keeping with the school’s historical vocation while meeting the needs of its current students, the Ursulines ceded part of their garden to enlarge the school’s playground.

The design team at EVOQ Architecture took advantage of the site’s vertical topography, spreading the various play areas over five levels. Rainwater catchment basins were distributed between the different slopes to absorb rainwater. This minimizes water runoff into the area’s sewer systems while maximizing the area available for the playground. Thus, the site’s perceived constraints were leveraged to create spaces for different activities while offering views of Old Quebec.

The design included a variety of spaces for sports activities, relaxation, and socialization. In addition to the synthetic soccer surface, a variety of recreational and sports facilities were added, including turnstile games, ball games, and multisport surfaces. The variety of activities encourages students to actively appropriate the spaces while ensuring their comfort and safety. It is now possible for students to run circling the heritage orchard or climb ropes to bring them closer to the copper roofs of adjacent buildings.

Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/quebec-city-nunnery-resows-garden-into-school-playground/

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