The original three storey masonry school, located approximately where the new parking lot is, was built in 1923. Due to an enrolment imbalance and boundary change, and an existing school too obsolete to meet the School Board’s functional program, accessibility requirements, and building envelope and physical plant standards, The Waterloo District School Board commissioned Kingslandv to provide architectural services for a new three storey school.

There were three major issues to contend with in the design of the new school. The first was to achieve the Waterloo Region District School Board’s goal to capture as much of the historical essence of the original Grand View Public School, circa 1923, into the new school design. The second was that the existing school was required to remain in service while the new school was being built and the third major issue was that the school site was completely divided in half by a 30 foot deep embankment; the lower level at the north end of the site.

To resolve the first issue, Kingslandv borrowed certain elements or building features that could be adapted in a more contemporary language within the confines of the “bricks and mortar” of the new building construction and to literally remove fragments from the existing building during it’s demolition as artifacts to be positioned within the new building not unlike a museum exhibit.

To resolve the second and third issue, since the existing school was not being demolished until after the new school was built, and since the senior playing fields were on the lower plateau and the existing school and junior play area was on the upper, the most advantageous place to locate the new school was on the embankment itself which both utilized a portion of the property undesirable for anything other than tobogganing and created the physical link required between the upper and lower plateau. This intervention resolved a serious access issue.

The gymnasium was conveniently located on the lower level, the two storey Library, Kindergartens, Administration and main entrance  located on the middle level, and most of the classrooms occupied the upper level.

Outside the building, the main entry driveway required modification for school bus access and fire and emergency service vehicles. Thirty additional parking spaces were also added. Landscaping features included the relocation of a children’s play structure and a new Kindergarten play area. All of this was a result of the reclaimed footprint of the original 1923 school building.