Kiwedin Public School is located on a prominent city street in the north central district of Sault Ste. Marie. The design objective was to transform the existing building to reflect a fresh and modern appearance that would reinvigorate this school’s image, particularly in the eyes of the students. Ideal elementary school environments were analyzed during the design to determine the use of appropriate materials that would create a playful yet durable environment. The project involved installing new glass walls to permit natural light within the existing school entrance, a roof canopy to mark the entrance and a new landscaped entrance plaza. The perimeter of the entire school was refurbished using a combination of “longboard” cedar planks, wood “parklex” panelling, fibre cement panels and an array of multi-coloured metal siding.