The Colborne Architectural Group has been retained by the Vancouver School Board to design three projects at this high school since 1994. The current project is for a major addition to increase the school capacity by 350 students and to undertake a major renovation and seismic upgrade of the existing academic block. A four-storey addition to the west of the school will contain the equivalent of 12 classrooms with a fine arts emphasis; video and art studios, music and drama rooms plus a relocated library facility. A new gymnasium is also being added to the north of the existing shop wing.

A major challenge in the design of the additions is to tie together the existing building components of the high school, which is currently provided in two separate buildings, and to resolve existing circulation difficulties. Current Ministry school budgets are also very challenging, requiring a creative use of material and spatial organization. The existing academic block is a heritage building, requiring sensitivity in planning for seismic upgrading. The project is being designed to a construction budget of $3.8 million for the addition, $1.1 million for the renovation, with a further $2.1 million for phase 1 of the seismic upgrade. Project completion is scheduled for summer 2003.

The Firm previously designed a major handicap accessibility upgrade throughout the school completed in 1995 at a cost of $700,000. The work included a new elevator and lift, washrooms, entrances and related programmatic renovations. A subsequent renovation was completed in 1998 to upgrade the administrative offices, staff room and a special education classroom.