Award

M A R C H 2 0 2 5 | 71 Balmoral Recreation Centre R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y C S & P A RC H I T EC T S I N C .; C I T Y O F B R A M P TO N BALMORAL RECREATION CENTRE by ROBIN BRUNET A s with any recreation facility whose roots date back to 1964, Balmoral Recreation Centre in Brampton, Ontario had its fair share of outdated elements. While popu- lar, the facility was not visible from the road. Also, a parks and recreation master plan stipulated that a refresh should provide one-stop convenience for residents, follow youth-friendly, age-friendly, and sport-friendly design principles, and include a gym and other new elements. The public became aware that refurbishment was afoot in 2019, and construction began in the second half of 2022 and completion is expected soon. Mitsa Montaser, director, build- ing design and construction for the City of Brampton, says, "The revital- ization of the Balmoral Recreation Centre marks a significant milestone for Brampton's growing community. As the population rapidly expands, the demand for modern and acces- sible recreational facilities becomes increasingly critical. This proj- ect embodies a major achievement of Brampton's Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which strategizes the delivery of parks, recreation facil- ities, programs, and services to the community through 2036." With the public's fondness for the facility foremost in the City's con- siderations, it was decided early on to keep its most popular component, the swimming pool, which had been built in 1964 as an outdoor amenity and was later enclosed as the rec- reation centre developed over the following decades. The addition of a new structure featuring a multi-sport gymnasium with FIBA basketball court, multi-purpose rooms, and sauna was required, as was additional parking, landscaping, and new path- ways – all of which would expand the size of Balmoral from 17,000 square feet to 32,980 square feet. With a significant focus of its prac- tice being the programming and design of community and sustain- able projects, CS&P Architects Inc. was retained to bring new life to the Balmoral Recreation Centre. "The site was challenging in that we were asked to retain the pool but demolish many other elements, in a location next to a school and near residences and a park," says senior associate Saeed Sadeghi. "The building was completely hidden from Balmoral Drive, so one of our tasks was to determine how to give the revamped facility street presence and make it more open and inviting." Susan Lewin, principal at CS&P Architects, says the solution was to design the centre "as a pavilion with a park, with pedestrian access priori- tized. We used the new 10-metre-tall gym as a focal point, or beacon, that would draw the community into the site." This approach was augmented by establishing a clear, strong entrance identity, as well as developing a new high-performance building envelope that would unite the old elements of the building to the new, plus creating a more efficient parking layout with pedestrian connections to the school. Demolition of most of the origi- nal centre gave the architects the opportunity to rectify a long-standing shortcoming: navigation difficul- ties. "Ultimately a little over 10,000 square feet was retained and we added 20,800 new square feet, and we blended the old with the new by creating a large, grand north/south corridor separating the pool from the gym and connected to a smaller east/west corridor," Sadeghi says. "With the judicious placement of the control desk, we were able to give staff clear views of the entire facil- ity." A massive clerestory flanking the gym helped bring daylight into the central core of the building. Colour played a vital role in the design scheme, with blue symbolizing the intentions of the building from the exterior. "Blue also acts as a foil to the green of the trees and other natural landscape settings, and it ties indi- rectly into the blue branding colours of the City of Brampton," Lewin says. Maystar General Contractors broke ground in 2022 and fol- lowed strict safety procedures as required by the site's confines. Aquatic Design & Engineering was retained as part of the team tasked with refreshing the pool. The revamped facility is set to open soon, with the LEED Silver project fulfilling its objectives of improving recreational services, enhancing accessibility, and meeting green building standards, says Lewin. Montaser concludes, "The Balmoral Recreation Centre has been a com- munity pillar for over 50 years, and the new, expanded amenities and thoughtful design will ensure it con- tinues to serve future generations and will serve a vibrant hub for residents of all ages. There is great anticipation for the positive impact this newly revi- talized recreation centre will have on the community's quality of life." A LOCATION Ernest Majury Park, 225 Balmoral Drive, Brampton, Ontario OWNER /OPER ATOR City of Brampton ARCHITECT CS&P Architects Inc. GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Maystar General Contractors STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Lea Consulting MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT H.H. Angus & Associates Limited AQUATICS CONSULTANT Aquatic Design & Engineering (a division of DEI Consulting Engineers) CIVIL CONSULTANT MTE Consultants Inc. L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PMA Landscape Architects Ltd. TOTAL SIZE 32,980 square feet TOTAL COST $20.3 million

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