Tucked away in a residential neighbourhood, the original Sunset Community Centre lacked visibility, accessibility and – at almost 60 years old – the building was showing its age.
The design vision for the new community centre was inspired by the predominantly South Asian district dotted with Punjabi restaurants and sari shops. The structure would play off the idea of movement; flowing fabrics or flower petals blowing in the wind.
The primary concern for this type of organic structure was the budget. The architect approached Fast + Epp to employ tilt-up concrete construction – a low-cost solution with high-quality finishes. We developed 46 individually-shaped tilt-up concrete panels to create the free-form nature of the structure and allow many of the services to be hidden within the wall panels, resulting in a functional and architecturally-pleasing facility. The highlight was a 4m x 27m-long structural wall beam bridging the reception area, the largest of its kind in North America.
2009 Award for Excellence in Achievement
2008 Grand Award for Excellence in Concrete Construction – Overall Achievement
2008 Award for Excellence in Concrete Construction – Tilt-up Structures
The new facility has transformed the community’s recreational and social programming. It features a new gymnasium, fitness centre, administrative spaces, multi-purpose rooms and activities for toddlers and youth. These spaces are are united by double-height corridors and a cantilevered second-floor walkway.