Construction of the first major modular addition to a Langley school is underway and was ahead of schedule this spring.
The $9 million, two-storey, six-classroom unit is expected to replace portables on site at Richard Bulpitt Elementary, a kindergarten to Grade 5 school in the fast-growing Willoughby area.
On Tuesday, April 30 crews were working on a concrete pour. Once the base of the module is finished, it will be assembled in pieces from components made in a factory.
About 150 students will learn in the unit when it’s complete and open, which is expected to be by next fall – far faster than the district and province could hope to build a new school from scratch.
“The project is going very well,” said Calvin Lal, assistant director of facilities, transportation and capital projects for the Langley School District. “The district has been able to begin construction earlier than originally anticipated and been successful in blending the look and feel of the existing school with the modular expansion.”
Sub-structure work is already done, including the concrete foundations.
Off-site, the design of the new module is finished, and framing and construction of the components is underway now, Lal said.
Next the contractor will be doing quality checks, and getting ready for the placement of the modules over the summer, while school is out of session. The project remains on track to be completed in late August, and ready for returning students and staff in September.
The work is getting a lot of attention from both students and staff, said Richard Bulpitt’s principal, Sean Oliver.
He’s fielding a lot of questions from kids who have been watching the progress of the work.
“They’ve able to learn about construction, the technical side of it,” he said.
There’s also interest in which students and classes will be in the new addition. “‘Will I be there next year?’” is a common question.
Teachers and other staff are also looking forward to it.
“Being able to connect with each other without having to go out in the rain is very appealing,” he said.
The fact that the new addition will have its own washrooms will also be a big benefit – kids won’t have to walk back and forth to the main building with umbrellas or rain boots in bad weather.
“That’s going to be enormous,” Oliver said.
The new prefabricated modular additions were announced last fall for schools in a number of districts across the province.
READ MORE: New $9 million classroom module to serve 150 Langley students
READ MORE: Modular project to replace portables at Langley elementary school
