Avon Village

This project landed at Fast + Epp when architect Arthur Erickson (whose client was in Vancouver for a meeting) invited us to provide an independent opinion on the proposed roof structure for a new three-storey retail and office complex in Colorado. Discussion centered on whether some internal columns could be removed to increase flexibility of the interior space. Our assertion that, in fact, all the columns could be eliminated won us this unique design-build project.

To create the long-span toroidal roof and mitigate the high snow loads of this ski-resort town, Fast + Epp proposed a series of glulam trussed arches with flitch plates to reinforce the paired top chords at high-bending locations near the supports – reducing their depth. The flitch plates also provided a connection point for V-columns carrying the lateral loads, and for steel tension cables.

Between trusses, the ceiling is stress-skin wood panels with pre-installed battened soffit and acoustic absorption. The soffit panels were hinged to facilitate installation on site, and future servicing for sprinkler lines and lighting. When the prefabricated panels arrived in Colorado from Canada, they were rotated into place using a crane. Each end of the trusses had a swivelling connection that was welded once they were in a vertical position.