Size2,236 square metres
OwnerDistrict of West Vancouver
Structural EngineerFast + Epp
Engineered Wood FabricatorWestern Archrib
Structural systemsLow risePanelizedPost + beamPrefabricated
Project materialsGlue-laminated timber (Glulam)Plywood
SpeciesDouglas-fir
The Gleneagles Community Centre minimizes impact on the environment with a holistic approach that integrates structural, mechanical and electrical elements. The giant boomerang-shaped wooden roof structure is a defining feature that unifies and brings warmth to the main public spaces while promoting airflow.
The West Vancouver community centre, adjacent to a public golf course, incorporates an impressive range of sustainable features. It is located on a small hill and is organized on three levels to minimize the building footprint. By subtly reshaping the cross-sectional topography of the site, the lower level and the intermediate level are both accessible from grade.
The intermediate level is entered from a generous porch along the street and contains a community living room, café, meeting room, administration and child care facilities. The building comprises two rectangular volumes offset in plan. The cross-sectional arrangement is such that the pitched roofs covering these volumes have unequal slopes—shorter on the east side and longer on the west.
Each roof is supported on segmented Douglas-fir glulam beams set at a 4,800 millimetre spacing. The glulam beams are in turn supported on inclined glulam struts that spring from concrete columns that sit within the zone of the exterior wall. One set of struts supports the exterior roof overhangs; the other serves to reduce the internal spans over the gymnasium and other areas. Light steel cross bracing stiffens the structure longitudinally.
The heavy-timber shed-like pitched roof, composed of prefabricated wood panels and supported by Douglas-fir glulam beams, wraps the facility with a generous and robust overhang to provide protection from winter precipitation and summer sun while collecting and dispensing rainwater back into the natural landscape. The wood roof, with spans up to 20 metres, combines glulam rafters, heavy timber purlins and prefabricated wood and plywood panels in a structure that is elegant, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
Inside, the structure acts as a huge thermal-storage mass and complements a highly efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. As the defining feature of the building, careful attention was given to the timber roof’s detailing to minimize the need for exposed steel plates and preserve the character and elegance of the wood.
Wood was chosen for Gleneagles Community Centre for its appearance, cost-effectiveness, and its contribution to the overall sustainability goals of the project. A locally sourced and fabricated material, it has low embodied energy and is non-toxic and self-finished.
The shed-like roof of the Gleneagles Community Centre serves multiple functions. Internally, the expansive sloping planes of exposed wood unify and bring warmth to the main public spaces while promoting airflow for the displacement ventilation system. Externally, the roof collects and directs stormwater back through a water feature to the site, while the large overhangs provide rain protection, reduce glare in the interior spaces and eliminate solar heat gain in summer.
