When the school decided to build its own campus in 2001, it looked for a design that would fit the wooden, earthy environment where it was to be located.

Mulgrave School boasts one of the finest views of any learning institution in Vancouver, British Columbia. The 9,000-square-meter school sits nestled into a slope at the base of Cypress Mountain, overlooking the Lower Mainland with a view that encompasses everything from Mt. Baker to the Gulf Islands. The school, founded in 1993, offers strong academics along with a beautiful setting to 700 students, kindergarten to 12th grade. When the school decided to build its own campus in 2001, it looked to CJP Architects for a design that would fit the wooden earthy environment where it was to be located.

Early on, it was determined that the roof system was a key element for the design. Wayne Bryson, the western Canadian regional manager for Tasman Roofing Products, was called about using Decra Shake. “I had worked with CJP Architects on an ice rink earlier, so they were familiar with Decra roofing products,” states Bryson. “They wanted a competitively priced roofing system that would offer longevity, fire safety and most of all, fit the look of the beautiful setting.”

“At one point they looked at composition shingles due to price considerations,” continues Bryson. “After upgrading the roof design to allow composition shingles to meet the Class A system requirements, they realized that the Decra Shake was a better economical choice since it already maintained the Class A fire design and would last substantially longer.”

Bryson worked with the architects to design a very strong roofing system that included a steel “Q” deck, fire-rated gypsum board, ice and water protection that covered the entire roof, z-bars with insulation between each bar, battens, and finally the Decra Shake product.

“We knew with this kind of system we needed an experienced roofing contractor,” Bryson says. Winning the bid was Marine Roofing and Sheet Metal, Vancouver, British Columbia. Gordon Khushalamy, the owner, worked with Bryson and CJP Architects to make their vision a reality. “The biggest challenge was making everything fit correctly and tightly. It was a strong and complicated roof. With a great design, a high performance roofing system and quality installation from Marine Roofing, we knew the roof would last for a very long time,” states Bryson.

“The school wanted something that would last and endure inclement weather. Decra Shake’s non-porous surface means no problem with freeze/thaw cycles. The steel structure means fire, impact and high-wind resistance,” confirms Khushalamy. “The 120 mph wind warranty and the transferable 50-year limited warranty really closed the deal.”

The school is happy with the results especially since the roof fits the look of the building so perfectly. The multifaceted roof has become one of the school’s most striking external features. “In keeping with the undulations of the hillside, we wanted to break the roof up and give it a unique profile,” says Gerhart Eisner, project coordinator and contract administrator for CJP Architects. “We were able to achieve a textured galvanized material resembling cedar shakes.”

“We are all very happy with the final result,” concluded Bryson. “Both CJP Architects and Marine Roofing are already working on another project that uses the Decra Shake.”