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90 | J UNE 2015 Wesbrook Community Centre Wesbrook Community Centre by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI T he last and main piece of the Wesbrook Village master plan jigsaw puzzle has been slotted into place. The two-storey, 30,000-square-foot Wesbrook Community Centre – nes- tled in the University Neighbourhoods Association's (UNA) newest neighbour- hood on Vancouver's West Side in B.C. – is an impressive showcase of sustain- able design. The gently curved roof that hangs out over the right of the building acts like a protective hand and provides not only shelter but also offers a soft line to this angular structure. Carefully thought out details of stone at the base of the building marry together with extensive amounts of wood that con- nect in style with the village, while the more contemporary shapes to the left of the main entrance relate to the more recent developments in the area. "It isn't often you see such an impressive use of locally-grown heavy timber," explains Darren Rae from Scott Construction. Glulam projects from the interior to the exterior of the building, while CLT timber soffits are apparent in the cube like dance studio to the left. Then there's the carefully positioned cedar accents that bring it all together. It's a breathtaking building, and yet something this impressive isn't thought up overnight. There were a great many stakeholders involved in the project including the UNA and UBC Properties Trust. "We had a dozen stakeholder meetings with the whole neighbour- hood and input was encouraged from the larger public through open houses. UBC Properties Trust wanted to take their time and get involvement to ensure they did it right," explains John Wall, principal at Public Architecture + Communication. "Once we had the program sorted we broke out into four teams and each team came up with a different concept. We then had a CAD model of each and presented them back to the group," adds Walter Francl, from Francl Architecture. Having known each other for more than 20 years, Wall and Francl brought together not only the experience of understanding how the other worked but also a wealth of knowledge with Wall having previously worked with UBC and Francl having extensive experience in designing community centres in the area. From early on UBC Properties Trust decided they didn't necessarily want to restrict themselves to a checklist approach. "They wanted a design that met their sustainability goals," explains Francl. "They have a sustainabilit y officer within the UNA called Ralph Wells who worked with us to come up with ideas that were innovative and cost-effective; ideas that will have a big impact on the community." The result was a building where the sustainable focus would be visible to its users and would effect change in the community. Originally the idea was to use a com- posite aluminum panel like a Alucobond system, "but we found that because Alucobond doesn't come more than eight or 10 feet tall, we ended up with a horizontal seam line. So we opted for a narrower sheet of non-Alucobond that is a heavy gauge material and would run the 25 feet of some of the walls. That was a real positive change," explains Francl. The building's massing, solar orienta- tion and facade design helped the team in reaching its goal to reduce energy by designing 40 per cent of the facade area glazed and 60 per cent solid material. "We provide a lot of glass on the south and east and minimised it on the north and west. North to reduce heat loss, west to reduce heat gain. Maximising the south glazing allowed the building to benefit from more natural light and to the east so the community could overlook the common area of Wesbrook Village," says Julien Léger from Francl Architecture. In fact the team was tasked with a very aggressive energy target of 160 kilowatt per square metre per year – "that's a third of an equivalent building's consumption, and this was realised on a tight budget," explains Léger. Inside the building meticulous atten- tion to wood and detail is further evi- dent. The Centre has been organised around a central atrium that serves as a gathering space and is the highest part of the building. From there the Centre is divided into three main elements that each connect to this central atrium: the gym, fitness centre and service rooms that are found on the north side of the atrium; the meeting and multi-purpose rooms to the south to make the most of the natural light; and the dance studio which is adjacent to the main building entrance and hovers above a cafe space. The use of CLT in the gym on the walls is a standout feature. In addition, a corrugated steel deck offers improved acoustics while providing a nice arc over the gym that cantilevers and hangs over the mezzanine roof from the overhang of the gym structure. "This overhang gives it that volume that allows you to put in the clerestory and brings light into the atrium, allowing for cross venti- lation through that space," adds Francl. The dance studio resembles a wood tube and features CLT walls, floors and roof, all of which are supported by steel columns and enclosed with glass at the front and back. Darren Rae from Scott Construction says having a superstructure consist- ing of wood, glulam beams and CLT's in an open space came with its challenges. "They arose because it was a heavy tim- ber building. This means that the wood was exposed to the elements so we had to protect and maintain the wood. One challenge was erecting the wood walls. We had to ensure we didn't damage the structure and so we and the trades came up with back brackets and bracings that allowed us to efficiently erect the build- ing. The key was having the right people in the right places." Scott Construction worked well in advance on the planning, which resulted in a very efficient build. "This is an amaz- ing structure," enthuses Rae. "The long glass walls on the outside enable maxi- mum light penetration and enhance the open and warm feeling within." When it came to the structural chal- lenges, Omer Mohammed, project engi- neer with Equilibrium Consulting Inc. agrees that while the variety of mate- rials was challenging, it also made the project extremely interesting. "There were a lot of unique things about this project, particularly the use of materi- als, and while they posed a challenge from a structural point of view we were able to work with them to satisfy the design intent," says Mohammed. The long-span beams and high walls are also striking features of this proj- ect. "It involved a lot of pre-planning and co-ordination, but collaboration by all teams resulted in what we feel is a standout project. If someone wants to look at how a variety of sustainable materials can come together, Wesbrook is a showcase for this," adds Mohammed. Wall and Francl also commend Rocky Point Engineering Ltd., the mechanical consultants, who worked hard on the project and were fluid in their design thinking. "When we had a budget issue, Rocky Point went back to the board and came back with some sound options that helped move the project forward," says Wall. The focus for the landscaping by Karen Kiest Landscape Architects was very much on open spaces that act as the green "lungs" of the neighbourhood. Kiest worked closely with the architects who designed the building to help retain parts of the original forest while the landscapers focussed on creating a wel- coming area with native plants. "Community centres reflect the peo- ple you build them for. We wanted the client to recognise their input and par- ticipation, and the initiatives they bring to the design process. Hats off to UNA and UBC Properties Trust; they wanted this and recognised what it takes to cre- ate a good project that represents the community," says Francl. A LOCATION Webber Lane, Wesbrook Village, Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER UBC Properties Trust ARCHITECTS Francl Architecture / Public Architecture + Communication CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Scott Construction Management Ltd. (special project) STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Equilibrium Consulting Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Rocky Point Engineering Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Applied Engineering Solutions Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Karen Kiest Landscape Architects CIVIL CONSULTANT Kamps Engineering GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT Geo-Pacific Consultants Ltd. TOTAL AREA 30,000 square feet TOTAL COST $10.8 million RENDERING COURTESY FRANCL ARCHITECTURE WalterFranclArch.indd

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