Artist impression of the new school building. (Photo credit DAM Caribbean)
PHILIPSBURG--The Sundial School may be getting a new building as architectural firm DAM Caribbean, based in St. Maarten, presented images of the design for a new building earlier this month.
According to the architectural firm, the Secondary Education Foundation SVOBE commissioned the firm to design a new building for the school. The new building will replace the current structure which received substantial damage with the passing of Hurricane Irma in 2017.
According to DAM Caribbean, the design of the school will feature an abstract semi-open, semi-closed façade with an alternately coloured, strongly vertical and fairly rhythmic pattern. Important areas such as the auditorium and the open learning centre will speak into the façade, the firm said.
For the new building DAM Caribbean proposes the use of a prefab steel structure as a means to reduce construction time and therefore lower traffic load for the surroundings and busy area in town. The foundation piles and the main construction of the ground floor will be made of concrete as the terrain easily sustains water up to one metre during stormy conditions or rising sea levels.
The architectural firm also proposes a compact and stacked construction which also saves on the foundation, roof and façade surface and is therefore less harmful to the environment with the use of fewer materials. On the roof, solar panels in the form of a pergola will be made. Another sustainability-oriented proposal is a treatment plant for the reuse of water. The use of “grey water” is proposed for flushing toilets and washing hands and watering plants in the courtyard via a wastewater treatment plant.
“Efficient climate management is more energy-efficient and ensures cooler floors and ceilings,” the firm said. The glass in the façade repels the heat and is self-cleaning. The new building will also be provided with efficient and energy-efficient climate control. The glass in the façade will be heat-resistant and self-cleaning. “The goal is to develop the school eco-neutral,” said DAM Caribbean.
The school building is proposed to be built at the current location on Walter A. Nisbeth Road, Voges Street and the W.G. Buncamper Road. Projected construction time is unknown at this time.
The SVOBE board did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Herald.
