2025 TCA Tilt-up Achievement Award - Belleville Christian School
October 16, 2025
The Belleville Christian School project in Belleville, Ontario, exemplifies how tilt-up construction can combine architectural beauty with practical performance in an educational setting. Completed in 2023, the 30,000-square-foot facility was designed to meet the evolving needs of students and educators while ensuring long-term durability, energy efficiency, and aesthetic appeal.
A total of 104 tilt-up panels, spanning 36,900 square feet, form the structure’s durable exterior. Of these, 20,900 square feet are fully insulated, enhancing energy performance and comfort for year-round use. The remaining panels were strategically placed where insulation was not required, optimizing resources while maintaining strength and design consistency.
One of the school’s most defining features is the brick formliner applied to the exterior panels, adding visual texture and character while preserving the advantages of tilt-up construction. Complementary steel accents and textured finishes further enrich the façade, creating a warm, contemporary aesthetic that aligns with the school’s identity and community presence.
Our team worked alongside Reinders + Associates, Dalren Limited, and Hawkeye Church Management Inc., supporting the project from start to finish and contributing to its successful completion. Together, we ensured the heaviest panel, weighing 83,970 pounds, was carefully lifted and placed with precision, even under challenging winter conditions, using heated enclosures and cold-weather protection to guarantee quality concrete curing.
The project required exceptional engineering precision, balancing large-scale panel dimensions, structural loads, and intricate architectural details. Careful sequencing and layout planning ensured seamless alignment of the brick formliner patterns across joints and corners, demonstrating the skill and coordination of all involved.
The Belleville Christian School stands as a model for how tilt-up construction can deliver elegant, efficient, and resilient educational spaces. It demonstrates the versatility of the method, combining innovation, structural performance, and design excellence to create a lasting community asset.
TILT-UP ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Tilt-Up Achievement Awards were established to honour projects that use site-cast tilt-up concrete to introduce new building types, advance industry technology and provide unique solutions to building programs. Winning entries illustrate the variety, beauty, and flexibility of tilt-up construction.