Gleneagles Community Centre

Location

6262 Marine Dr

West Vancouver, BC

Canada

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Completion date
March 2003
Site/ building area
2,236 m2
Budget
$6,000,000
Certifications & Awards
  • 2003: Best Building of the Year, The Vancouver Sun
  • 2003: AWMAC/BC Gold Service Award, CWC Architectural Millwork
  • 2004: BCRPA Facility Excellence Award, District of West Vancouver
  • 2004: Trade Contractor Special Achievement Award (Westcraft Timber Inc.), Vancouver Regional Construction Association
  • 2004: Tilt-Up Concrete Achievement Award (Fast + Epp Structural Engineers), Tilt-Up Construction Association
  • 2004: Illumination Design Award BC Section, Illumination Engineering Society of North America
  • 2004: Excellence in Sustainable Design Award, New Hampshire Integrated Design/Integrated Development (IDID) Conference, AIA NH
Project Team
  • Owner: District of West Vancouver
  • Architect: Patkau Architects
  • Structural Engineer: Fast + Epp
  • Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Earth Tech Canada
  • Civil Engineer: Webster Engineering
  • Landscape Architect: Vaughan Landscape Planning and Design
  • Project Management: Maurice J. Ouellette Consulting
  • Contractor: Country West Construction
  • Code Consultant: Gage-Babcock & Associates

Summary

Key Sustainability Features

  • Heated and cooled by ground source heat pump 
  • Ventilation system provides 100% fresh air to the building
  • Uses 40% less electricity than a conventional building of similar size
  • Low-flow facilities reduce potable water consumption
  • Restoration and daylighting of Larson Creek, a salmon bearing stream that crosses the property

The Gleneagles Community Centre (GECC) is located on the main bus route in the District of West Vancouver. The GECC houses a gym, fitness centre, art centre, child care facility, and a customer service and support area that were designed to be universally accessible.

The Community Centre is heated and cooled using a highly efficient ground source heat pump connected to a radiant heating system. This system consists of over 6,000 m of plastic tubing embedded into the concrete walls and floors. Heated or cooled water is circulated through these pipes which keep the concrete slabs at a constant temperature. During peak heating times the ground source heat pump is supplemented by a small gas-fired boiler. A displacement ventilation system provides 100% fresh air to the building at low velocity and at low levels. As the air rises it pushes out waste air which is captured and exhausted aloft. A post-occupancy analysis found that the facility uses 40% less electricity than a conventional building of similar size.

The materials used in building the centre include glass, wood, and concrete. Glazing provides views to the outdoors and floods the space with natural light, creating a beautiful indoor environment. Low-flow showers and toilets, timed showers, and motion- detection urinals were used to reduce potable water consumption.

Excavation material from the Community Centre was retained for the construction of the adjacent Gleneagles Adventure Park. Although this site was originally envisioned as a grassy field, with the collaboration of the West Vancouver Youth Advisory Committee the park evolved into an area that includes dirt bike jumps, skateboard bowls, and stunts. A graffiti wall featuring local artists is planned.

A major component of the GECC was the decision to restore and daylight Larson Creek, a salmon bearing stream that crosses the property. The Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans helped to create a wetland on the adjacent golf course and lengthen the stream. This wetland is fed from two bio-swales that manage stormwater on-site. Natural storm water management not only improves the health of the stream but doubles as a public amenity.

Tours: Available upon request (Sunday to Thursday). Call 604-921-2102.

 

This post was imported from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building Brain.