Project Name: École Sage Creek Bonavista
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Product: Platinum, Midnight Black Matte, Copperstone, and Ash Matte by Interstate Brick
Architects: Number TEN Architectural Group
Masonry Contractor: Lead Masonry
Photographer: Lindsay Reid
In one of Winnipeg’s fastest-growing neighbourhoods, a new school needed to do more than add space. It had to feel comfortable for students and families, fit naturally into a residential neighbourhood, and stand up to daily use year after year.
At École Sage Creek Bonavista, material choice became the way to bring those needs together.
Designed by Number TEN Architectural Group, the 103,000 square foot K to Grade 8 French immersion school serves up to 900 students from the Sage Creek and Bonavista communities in southeast Winnipeg. From the outset, the exterior envelope was understood as central to how the building would be experienced, both by those using it every day and by the surrounding community.
Brick as the Starting Point
The school’s exterior is organized around a carefully composed masonry palette from Interstate Brick. Rather than treating brick as a finish, the design uses it to manage scale, guide movement, and establish a welcoming presence across a large footprint.
Platinum and Ash form lighter base tones that help reduce the perceived mass of the building. Copperstone introduces warmth and variation, giving the school a more residential character. Midnight Black is used selectively to define entrances and other key architectural elements.
At the main entrances, the shift toward darker brick helps make arrival clear and orderly, even during busy drop-off periods.
Built for Daily Use
Beyond appearance, the masonry envelope supports the realities of a high-traffic school environment. Brick offers durability and low maintenance performance well suited to Winnipeg’s climate, where seasonal extremes are a constant consideration.
The exterior wall assembly contributes to long-term resilience, helping the building maintain its performance and appearance over time, even with heavy community use.
A Plan That Supports Connection
Inside, the All-School Commons anchors the building. This central gathering space connects classrooms, collaboration areas, and shared amenities, encouraging movement and interaction throughout the day.
The school is designed to remain active beyond class hours. Gymnasiums, outdoor fields, and shared spaces support community programming and events, reinforcing the building’s role as a neighbourhood hub for Sage Creek and Bonavista.
A Name With Meaning
Plans are in place to rename the school in honour of Murray Sinclair, reflecting a broader commitment to education rooted in respect and shared responsibility.
The building supports that intent through spaces designed for gathering, learning, and connection.
Built for the Long Term
École Sage Creek Bonavista shows how material choice can shape experience, performance, and longevity at once. Brick is not decorative here. It allows a large public school to feel approachable, durable, and grounded in its neighbourhood.
