A Chilliwack based architect will be designing the $34.5 million expansion at Valleyview Secondary School.

The Kamloops-Thompson School District says CHP Architects was one of seven firms who sent in proposals to design the expansion.

“We will be having meetings with them shortly and meeting with school staff and the principal and other people that we need to consult with and we will be getting on with the design,” said SD73’s Director of Facilities Art McDonald.

McDonald says the plan is to design the expansion over the fall and winter, so it can put it out to tender for contractors next spring.

He was asked why CHP Architects were chosen.

“Mostly they have a vast amount of experience in the education sector in BC, and they’ve done several projects that are quite similar to this.”

Those projects include Canyon Falls Middle School in Kelowna and the H.S. Grenda Middle School in Lake Country, along with an upgrade and addition at Langley Secondary.

“With a rapidly changing job market and educational curriculum, facilities have changed dramatically to prepare students for a 21st-century workplace,” said Justin Dyck, a partner with CHP, in a statement.

“We are keen to share our knowledge of the most current and cutting-edge design practices in educational facilities and discovering a design solution that is efficient, effective and unique to Kamloops.”