Edmonds Community Centre and Fred Randall Pool

Burnaby, BC
Construction Cost: $32 million (Canadian)
Area / Square Feet: 95,000
Occupancy Date: June 2013

Community diversity was a primary inspiration for the design of Edmonds Community Centre and Fred Randall Pool, since the neighborhood included both established populations and new residents unfamiliar with the concept of a community center. Programming is a rich mix of social, recreational and cultural aspects. Features include a 12,000-square-foot twin gymnasium, a fitness center, a community kitchen, an active studio, multipurpose rooms, a seniors’ lounge, a youth room and a preschool playcare center.

Care was taken to develop a compact design that would be eye-catching but not overwhelm the much smaller neighboring commercial buildings. Smaller-scaled glazing was used on all but the entry and north side of the building, where curtain wall highlights the natatorium and gymnasium spaces and adds scale and drama to the park setting. LED fixtures were used in the aquatic area, including overhead lane lighting to guide swimmers, and in color-changing installations inside the pool tanks.

Targeting LEED Silver certification, the center uses sustainable elements throughout, including a white roof membrane that reflects sunlight, radiant heating, rain gardens and bioswales, and an underground parking garage, which reduces the space required for surface parking and also ensures the preservation of nearby Richmond Park.