The FACE transitional secondary school will be located at 4251 Saint-Urbain Street. Students are expected to start attending this school in 2025-2026.
Located in the Plateau Mont-Royal, this building opened its doors in 1921 and was successively home to Baron Byng High School (1921-1980) and the Sun Youth community organization (1981-2019).
The CSSDM will fully renovate this building over the next few months so that it can fulfill its original purpose as a secondary school.
For the CSSDM, the goal of the rehabilitation project is to preserve and enhance the built heritage in line with sustainable development principles and to contribute to neighbourhood life. The project will also improve the site’s green space.
The building features abundant windows and a U-shaped floor plan, with the gym located in the centre.
You can view pictures from the project at the bottom of this page and discover the modern design proposed for this future school.
The transitional secondary school is 1.9 km from the transitional elementary school.
Overview of the building layout
The building of the transitional secondary school has 3 above-ground levels and 1 basement level. There will be 16 general education classrooms as well as a number of special-purpose rooms.
The alley to the south of the building will be completely redesigned as the student entrance and then revegetated. The alley to the north will also be redesigned to provide direct public access to the auditorium.
The roof of the central building that houses the gym will become a rooftop terrace with spaces for relaxation and discussion. Particular attention will be paid to vegetation on the roof.
Below you will find detailed plans for each floor and the courtyard.
The aspects presented below are based on conceptual designs and are subject to change pending ministerial and municipal approvals.
Basement
- Electromechanical services
- A “black box” drama room
Level 1 (first floor)
- Drama and dance rooms
- Set and costume workshops
- A 240-seat auditorium with a control room
- A double gymnasium
- The cafeteria
- Administrative offices
Level 2
- Art classes
- Vocal and instrumental music rooms
- Practice booths
- Two science labs
- A learning hub
Level 3
- General education classrooms
- A technology workshop
Outdoor layout and design
- One of the alleys bordering the building will become the outdoor student entrance area
- The roof space of the gymnasium and auditorium will be developed to provide an outdoor gathering and relaxation area
- The greening of the site will be improved with the planting of trees and vegetation
Building upgrades and accessibility
Once the rehabilitation work is done, the building will have:
- A mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning system that will provide fresh air throughout the school
- Seismic rehabilitation and upgrades of the emergency exits to standard
- A new high-performance building envelope (masonry repairs, replacement of doors, windows and roof)
- Complete interior refurbishment
- Universal access ramps and an elevator
Project pictures
The sketches and inspiration photos below may change as the work progresses.
Full presentation of the school
To view the complete presentation by Catherine Peyronnard, Engineer and Project Manager with the CSSDM’s Material Resources Department, click here.
