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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 | 71 Muskoka Lumber Community Centre R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y M J M A A RC H I T EC T U R E & D E S I G N MUSKOKA LUMBER COMMUNITY CENTRE by ROBIN BRUNET T he successful completion of Muskoka Lumber Community Centre reflects the determina- tion of Bracebridge, Ontario residents to have a facility that replaces its aging arena and library, as well as provides a sport field house. Cindy O'Regan, director of rec- reation for the Town of Bracebridge, says, "We experienced several major setbacks in development, and the resolve and generosity of community members in addition to the skills of our architects and builders were cru- cial in keeping us on course." Almost 12 years ago the need was identified to replace Bracebridge's 75-year-old arena, whose concrete ele- ments were starting to deteriorate. "A feasibility study was undertaken, and in 2015 we began searching for a site to accommodate a new arena," O'Regan says. "At the same time, our 100-plus year old Carnegie Library was outdated and needed to expand but couldn't due to its site restric- tions. It was eventually agreed that the best option was to locate it under one roof with the arena, along with a field house. This type of multi-use facility was unusual for Bracebridge, but the community embraced the concept." The project quickly evolved thanks to MJMA Architecture & Design. "The one thing locals were adamant about was that they didn't want a big box structure; rather, the facil- ity should reflect the rustic aesthetics of the region, and Ted Watson and his team at MJMA certainly delivered," O'Regan says. An Investing in Canada Infrastructure grant application was submitted, and by 2020 the project was shovel ready. "And then we learned we weren't going to receive any ICIP funding," O'Regan recalls. "We were shocked, and our only alternative was to look at phasing the project and build an arena – and nothing else." Watson, who is partner and design leader at MJMA, recalls the pivot. "It was a disappointment: we had decided on masonry and angling the faces of the facility to eliminate the big box impact. The library would be the first thing guests would see upon approach, and it would be clad in brick and wedge shaped. We had also included the retention of pine and fir trees on the site, and local suppliers had provided granite blocks for seat- ing and climbing purposes." Watson says of the interior, "We specified shiplap cladding for the lobby and wayfinding inspired by the signs you see tacked to trees through- out Bracebridge. Our colour schemes drew upon regional lakes and topog- raphy, and we had created lots of intimate spaces. The design layers were very dense. However, when the funding issue arose we were obliged to divide our design into three phases: for the arena, library, and field house." Watson notes that much thought was expended on the arena's seating and lighting: "We split the seating with 800 seats on one side of the arena and 200 on the other for a more vibrant spec- tator experience. We also developed a high-level polycarbonate lighting scheme augmented by clerestories to create a beautiful, translucent effect." Thanks to intensive lobbying efforts by the Bracebridge community, the provincial government eventually forked out over $17 million, enough to proceed with the original concept of the community centre. "So we pivoted again and combined the three dif- ferent design packages into a single package," Watson says. The next big shock for the devel- opers occurred when material prices skyrocketed due to the pandemic. "We were suddenly $10 million over bud- get," O'Regan recalls. "Aquicon, the architects, Colliers Project Leaders, and staff immediately undertook value added engineering, and ulti- mately our efforts saved $8 million and enabled us to proceed." The changes were extensive but did not compromise the facility's program- ming. "For example, the second level of the field house was removed and administration space was reduced," O'Regan says. Watson adds, "The library originally had a courtyard and was more independent of the main facility, but we made it part of the cen- tral unit and simplified its geometry." Ground broke in June of 2021, and O'Regan says construction pro- ceeded smoothly until early 2024, when soils in an on-site stormwa- ter retention pond had to be dealt with (she credits Aquicon and MJMA for deftly coping with the issue). As the Town of Bracebridge pre- pares for the opening of the facility, O'Regan thinks the time and effort spent on the project was well worth it: "The community is excited, and jaws are going to drop when they see the finished product. Every last inch of space is func- tional – and beautiful. Best of all, it feels like it belongs here." A LOCATION 56 Salmon Avenue, Bracebridge, Ontario OWNER /DEVELOPER Town of Bracebridge PROJECT MANAGER Colliers Project Leaders ARCHITECT MJMA Architecture & Design GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Aquicon STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Blackwell Structural Engineers MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen CIVIL CONSULTANT EMC Group Limited TOTAL SIZE 10,500 square metres TOTAL COST $78.3 million

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