100 years after the first children walked through the doors of Laura Secord School, this venerable historic building has received a new roof designed to last another 100 years. Originally constructed in 1912, the building is listed as a Class II heritage building by the City of Winnipeg. Ineffective renovations over preceding decades left the roof in sub-standard shape. Substantial leaking at numerous points had soaked the gypsum wallboard on the inside and had caused prevalent mould to develop. To top it off, uncontrollable sliding snow off the metal roof was posing a threat to children on the ground. Something had to be done and Winnipeg School Division and the Public Schools Finance Board had the vision necessary to take the long view.
Leading a multi-disciplinary team including structural engineering, building envelope, and roofing consultants, Syverson Monteyne Architecture investigated the situation of the building and developed a scope of work which included the following key components: removal of the infected materials, and remediation of the mould-laden wood; reinforcing the existing timber roof structure to comply with the updated building code; snow guards to prevent sliding; a fall-prevention system; new zinc roof cresting; reconstruction of all 19 dormers; and the installation of a state of the art membrane roof system with zinc standing seam cladding on the visible roof sections.
