West Vancouver Aquatic Centre

This project combines the refurbishment of a 25-year-old aquatic centre with the addition of a new leisure pool, fitness area and related support facilities. Built facing the city’s main thoroughfare, the expansion created a new and striking civic presence for the centre.

Fast + Epp developed a structural solution using curved glulam beams and glulam purlins, chosen to echo the roof structure of the existing pool. The roof is supported by shaped glulam ‘wishbone’ columns – their triangulation efficiently reduces the beam span while at the same time providing the required lateral resistance for the structure.

Meanwhile, the eastern wall of the new pool space, which defines the character of the building as seen from the street, features an innovative glulam-framed curtain wall glazing system with glazed overhead doors and electrically operated blinds for solar shading.

Fast + Epp paid careful attention to the detailing of the glulam elements in both the roof and wall structures – by using embedded steel plates, recessed bolts and wood plugs, we were able to ensure a clean, streamlined appearance. The discrete connections allow the structural form and materials to take centre stage.