Minoru Centre for Active Living

With a flowing roof structure and site circulation patterns referencing the landscape of Richmond as a river delta city, Minoru Centre for Active Living has a unique focus on supporting wellness for all ages and abilities. 

Marking the gateway to the historic 105-year-old Minoru Park, the Minoru Centre for Active Living cares as much about the outdoor spaces that surround the building as the interior programmatic spaces. The continuous hybrid woodand- steel structure contains a healthand- therapy-focused aquatic center, a multipurpose senior community center, a fitness center, athletic team rooms and judging rooms, a social lobby with food service, event spaces, a spectator viewing deck and various outdoor community plazas facilitating gathering and celebration. 

Accessibility and inclusivity served as the project’s design guide, influencing all decisions and leading to an aquatic innovation: the infinity edge. By creating the option for individuals to transfer out of chairs into the water, the design extends the range of abilities that can access the pools with dignity. 

Pursuing the Canada Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification, the center is designed to reduce indoor water use by 39 percent and outdoor water use by 100 percent compared to the LEED baseline requirements. A dynamic planting strategy was developed for the project, with strong vegetative cover and a diverse range of native and adaptive plants suited to the area. The project sets a new standard for a wellness-oriented facility, balancing the needs of traditional aquatic uses while integrating a wide variety of uses to encourage healthy lifestyles, especially for an older-adult population.

ARCHITECT OF RECORD

hcma Architecture + Design

Vancouver, B.C.

PROGRAMMING CONSULTANT

David Hewko Planning + Program

Management

Victoria, B.C.

PROJECT VENDORS