Janet Lee Classroom Expansion and Child Care Centre

The expansion to Janet Lee Elementary School for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board introduces a new child care centre for 50 children and strengthens the school’s presence within the community. Carefully aligned with the existing front façade, the addition creates a continuous street edge and establishes a clear and welcoming identity that integrates seamlessly with the original building.

The child care centre is designed to support a range of early learning environments and includes five program rooms comprised of one infant room, two toddler rooms, and two preschool classrooms. The facility also includes all required ancillary spaces along with secure outdoor play areas. The layout follows Ministry of Education space standards to ensure operational efficiency, safety, and flexibility while supporting high quality early childhood programming.

The architectural expression responds to the scale and character of the existing school through a strong horizontal composition. A continuous canopy defines a primary datum along the front elevation and establishes a cohesive visual framework. White brick veneer forms a durable base at grade and provides a welcoming, child-scaled presence. Above, a concrete panel system matches the colour of the existing brick veneer, visually connecting the addition to the original building. Classroom windows are arranged rhythmically between horizontal datums to reinforce order, consistency, and balanced proportions.

The extended canopy provides weather protection for students waiting for buses and reduces solar gain along the south facing façade. It also marks the shared entrance sequence for both the school and the child care centre, strengthening program connections.

Inside, two primary circulation spines organize the plan and support intuitive wayfinding. A central skylight brings natural light into the heart of the child care centre, creating a bright and supportive environment. Site planning reconfigures the existing parking area to accommodate a perimeter drop off loop while maintaining safe pedestrian access and minimizing additional paved surfaces.