Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre

The Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre project will replace a 56-year-old facility at the end of its service life and foster community wellness and environmental responsibility with improved amenities and a sustainable design. The facility has been a redevelopment goal for the city for several years, having been involved in several design iterations. The city was looking for an infrastructure program that would consolidate multiple spaces into one site, which would serve as an elegant North Vancouver landmark. 

The centre has distinct but integrated building massing for each of the amenity spaces, which are joined below ground by a single-story parking level. From this concrete base, a combination of structural materials was used; a timber and steel entry building houses the main lobby and multi-purpose rooms, while steel structures with timber accents contain the pool and fitness areas. The ice rink, gymnasium structures, and seniors centre are in steel buildings to allow for the large spans and flexibility required in those areas.  

Fast + Epp has provided a cost-effective structure without losing the architectural interest needed to attract users to public facilities. This will be the largest and most expensive public facility in North Vancouver with an aquatic centre, a 500-spectator ice rink, a seniors centre, a new skate park, fitness amenities and multipurpose rooms.  This wide range of programs in a central location will allow the city to support a diverse population’s health and leisure activities for years to come.