- Client: CEPEO - Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
- Value: $25,932,000
- Size: 61,200 sq. ft.
- Location: 45 Oak Street, Ottawa, ON
- Start Date: March 2026
- Industry: Education
- Delivery Method: Lump Sum
HEIN is delivering École élémentaire publique Louise-Arbour for the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, constructing a new 61,200 sq. ft. French-language public elementary school in Ottawa’s Little Italy neighbourhood. Located at 45 Oak Street, the four-storey building combines structural steel and glulam timber construction on a dense urban site where efficient use of space, outdoor access, and future flexibility are central to the design.
The new school will include modern classrooms and workspaces, staff offices, a library, science and art rooms, daycare space, an elevated third-floor gymnasium, and a variety of outdoor learning and recreation areas. Built on a pile foundation with a partial basement, the structure is also designed to support a future fifth- and sixth-storey expansion, allowing the facility to respond to long-term growth needs.
A key feature of the project is the elevated gymnasium, positioned directly above the library and designed with a large curtain wall overlooking the schoolyard. To make better use of the compact Little Italy site, the ground floor has a smaller footprint than the levels above, creating additional outdoor space and sheltered areas beneath the building’s overhang.
The project brings a high-density school model to an established urban neighbourhood, balancing classrooms, childcare, specialty learning spaces, recreation, and outdoor areas within a carefully planned vertical layout. As HEIN’s first build for the CEPEO, École élémentaire publique Louise-Arbour also marks the start of a new school board partnership while building on HEIN’s experience delivering education projects across Ottawa.





