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AUGUST 2019 | 73 Vanderhoof Aquatic Centre PHOTOGRAPHY + RENDERING COURTESY CARSCADDEN STOKES MCDONALD ARCHITECTS INC. Vanderhoof Aquatic Centre by NATALIE BRUCKNER S ince the Vanderhoof Aquatic Centre in B.C. opened its doors in January of this year it has been extremely busy. In fact, according to the YMCA of Northern BC, more than 2,000 people visited the pool in the first two weeks of operation alone. The Centre was a community aspira- tion for many years and the District of Vanderhoof undertook extensive public consultation and a successful referen- dum to determine the kind of facility that would add value to the local area, and to gain access to the funds required to bring this project to reality. "The Centre plays such an important part in attracting and retaining peo- ple to our community. This is a facility that allows people to take part in physi- cal activities and programs, no matter what the season. It is also a great way to promote healthy living, belonging, and connection," explains Gerry Thiessen, mayor of the District of Vanderhoof. From the very start, careful consid- eration was given to its design. "During phase one of the design the main consideration was to create a fully accessible facility that would allow users of varying abilities to enjoy the space," says Armen Mamourian, archi- tect at Carscadden Stokes McDonald Architects Inc. The architects worked closely with the District of Vanderhoof to ensure the new facility's design would show- case the areas rich culture, history, and natural resources. "The profile of the building, glazing elements, and clad- ding materials were selected to reflect the local landscape and take advan- tage of durable and locally available products," explains Mamourian. While there was a strong desire to showcase wood elements due to the influence of the local forestry industry, budgetary considerations and the large open spaces within the building required the team to look at other options. This resulted in an elegant structural steel solution instead. The exterior of the building, which is a combination of metal cladding, local fir wood, and stucco, work together to create a unique look and give the Centre a sense of scale to its surroundings. Located adjacent to the popular ice arena, the Aquatic Centre takes full advantage of its central location and all elevations of the building are treated with similar importance – there is no true back side to this building. Due to the site's location and soil conditions dewatering was required from early spring until late summer, and Peter Neumann, project man- ager at Greyback Construction Ltd., says that "permanent well heads were installed to deal with this." Inside the building, guests are immediately treated to a view into the natatorium. "Swimming is front and centre here and the use of expansive interior and exterior glazing floods the space with natural light and provides generous views," says Mamourian. "This affords a grand sense of arrival into the facility, despite the building being of relatively modest scale." Much of the project teams' effort went into making the spaces feel as generous as possible. Collecting the disparate building programming under a single, expansive roof (first wood, and ultimately a more cost-effec- tive series of acoustical fins) makes the community pool feel more like a regional pool and connects it back out- side and to the community. The new facility has a six-lane, 25-metre lap pool, a 1,500-square- foot leisure pool as well as a 35-person hot tub. There is also a sauna and an aquatic climbing wall, and all pools have been equipped with entry ramps. Neumann says that due to the design, construction of the roof and structural elements was challenging, but nothing that the team at Greyback couldn't handle. "Working over the pools was a little difficult, so a tempo- rary floor was constructed over the three pools to enable us to carry out the work required," says Neumann. Change rooms in the facility include a large universal change area with four family showers and change stalls, three dry change stalls, and a fully accessi- ble change room/washroom equipped with an overhead lift. There are also women's and men's change rooms, which were also designed with accessi- bility in mind. When it came to the electrical and mechanical systems, Neumann says that the pool equipment and associ- ated piping were rather unique. "The main air handler located on the second level mechanical room was quite big and admittedly a challenge to get into place. And for the interior light fixtures the Centre has a unique design too in that they follow the ceiling angles and elevations creating a natural sense of wayfinding," he says. Mamourian says that he is proud of the Centre and its importance to the town of Vanderhoof. "As the winters tend to be long and cold, this facility allows for additional opportunities for citizens to remain active throughout the year. Also, this building looks great and feels good to be in," he says. Amanda Alexander, CEO of the YMCA told local media: "I want to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of the District of Vanderhoof, mayor, and council for building this amazing facility, which I have no doubt will be a place for so many community members to get healthy and active." Mayor Thiessen adds, "We are so pleased with the way it has been designed and how welcoming the Centre is. We have been contacted by other local communities who are using our design as a guide for future com- munity centres, which makes us very proud of what has been achieved." A LOCATION 390 Columbia Street East, Vanderhoof, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER District of Vanderhoof BUILDING MANAGER YMCA of Northern B.C. ARCHITECT Carscadden Stokes McDonald Architects Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Greyback Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT CWMM Consulting Engineers Ltd. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT The AME Group ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Applied Engineering Solutions Ltd. TOTAL SIZE 16,433 square feet TOTAL COST $12 million 10:17 AM 12:43 PM 10:19 AM 1:11 PM

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