Optik Boss Makes the Grade for Historic School Building Expansion
Request a QuoteMacKenzie Middle School, International
Mountain View School Division of Dauphin, Canada, is a diverse and complex public education system comprised of roughly 3,200 students from the Manitoba province.
When school officials sought to expand the district’s grade 7-8 building, Mackenzie Middle School, they looked to HDI for an outdoor stair railing solution that could safely accommodate the foot traffic of an additional 150 students.
Application
- Outdoor stair railing system
Solution
- Optik™ Boss
- Glass infill
Merging Minimalist Design with Historic Architecture
After a three-year renovation project, MacKenzie Middle School is now home to roughly 390 school students within Mountain View. The expansion enabled an entire new grade to join the building. It includes upgrades to building systems and the redevelopment of instructional spaces to accommodate the City of Dauphin grade 6 population.
Officials selected the Optik Boss railing system to outfit two large stairways leading out of the building. The clear glass plane railing infill doesn’t detract from the facility’s historic brick facade dating back to 1927. Designed by Winnipeg architect J. N. Semmens, the two-story brick structure emanates the collegiate Gothic style often seen on historic college campuses.
Optik Boss Provides Durable Design
The Optik Boss railing system offers an ultra-minimalist alternative to a traditional glass shoe rail. Handrail brackets match stainless steel mounting hardware for a fully coordinated design. HDI opted for type 316 steel railings with a 240-grain finish to ensure the durability to withstand Manitoba’s sharp seasonal weather changes.
The railing system provides a merger of historic architecture with modern safety, delivering a winning outcome for the MacKenzie school population.