Tsleil-Waututh Administration & Health Centre receives 2021 Award of Excellence from ACEC-BC
May 11, 2021
On April 29th, the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies British Columbia (ACEC-BC) held their 31st annual awards gala, where the Tsleil-Waututh Administration & Health Centre won the Award of Excellence in the Buildings Category.
Fast + Epp worked closely with the consultant team, contractor, and client to develop a unique and community-focused facility that would showcase Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s cultural values. As Tsleil-Waututh means ‘People of the Inlet’, the team designed a stepped wave-like roof which reflects the client’s important relationship with the sea. The result is a two-storey mass timber structure with a distinctive undulating profile.
To achieve this shape, the building is divided into three unique bays. Each bay consists of a mass timber roof and floor panels, supported by glulam post and beam framing, with its own roof made of 110’ long glulam trusses. The structural challenge was to unite these areas and create a main gathering space free of vertical supports. Fast + Epp’s unconventional solution of a composite truss design allowed for the roof structure to be exposed while maximizing daylight into the building by eliminating diagonal truss elements.
Thanks to close collaboration between the consultant team and client, we were able to create solutions that not only met design and cost objectives but also set the bar for other challenging building projects to come. In turn, the remarkable structure offers the Tsleil-Waututh people bright and open spaces for their needs as the community grows.
Learn more about the Tsleil-Waututh Administration & Health Centre.