Project Spotlight: Thelma Chalifoux School – A Model for 21st Century Learning

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Thelma Chalifoux School is an inspiring new addition to Edmonton’s Meadows community, designed to serve 900 students in grades 7–9. This $21.3 million, two-storey, 85,000-square-foot facility embodies the future of education through innovative design and collaborative project delivery.

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Developed under the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model, the design process brought together architects, engineers, and educators through workshops, seminars, and Big Room meetings to create a truly collaborative outcome. The result is a school layout that supports modern learning principles with open, flexible spaces and seamless connectivity between classrooms and learning commons.

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Sustainability and wellness were key priorities in the design, with the building targeting LEED® Silver certification. Features such as radiant in-floor heating and cooling, extensive natural daylighting, and Alberta’s largest solar array on a junior high school highlight its environmental responsibility.

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Thelma Chalifoux’s interior is organized into distinct learning communities, each offering a mix of breakout rooms, quiet zones, and dynamic open spaces that foster collaboration and adaptability. Specialized areas, including a culinary-grade teaching kitchen, performing arts room, and makerspace with an outdoor project patio, further enrich the student experience.

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The exterior design features a contemporary palette of white, grey, and green metal panels inspired by the surrounding landscape, complemented by charcoal grey brick that grounds the structure within its site.

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Spaces Inc proudly furnished Thelma Chalifoux School with an array of cutting-edge, flexible furnishings that support 21st century learning, collaboration, and creativity throughout the space.