in partnership with IAKS international projects


Delbrook Community Recreation Centre


The multi-award winning community recreation centre in North Vancouver, Canada integrates sport, recreation, and arts spaces within the existing neighbourhood and the natural environment.


HDR Architecture worked with the District of North Vancouver, the North Vancouver Recreation Commission, and project managers Pivotal on the design of the facility, which replaces two of North Vancouver’s aging recreation facilities. The design was inspired by the objective to


integrate the facility into its natural surroundings and emphasise a connection to the outdoors, a characteristic of the mountainside community. Primary spaces include a 25m pool and a


leisure pool geared towards adult programming and rehabilitation, a fitness centre and gymnasium. Other spaces include an art studio, pottery studio, youth centre and seniors centre. Central to the facility is a large public lobby


space, which includes a coffee shop. The lobby is connected to the outdoors, providing further opportunities to express the internal and external connection. Spaces are categorised into


arts and administration, public activity, access- controlled activity, and below-grade parking. By section the building is organised by small human-scale space to the north (street-facing) and large-scale spaces including the swimming pool hall, fitness centre and gymnasium to the south (park-facing). A major public circulation element bisects the building and creates a direct connection to the outdoors at both the east and west ends of the facility. Public spaces and spaces that benefit from a visual connection to the outside environment or the provision of natural light are organised either along the north or south of the building mass.


sight lines Driving the appearance of the building from the exterior is the notion of animating and enhancing both the natural and street topography. The building features strong horizontal geometry on the north elevation to showcase and


emphasize the slope of the land. Similarly, on the south elevation, the assembly of elements is also organised horizontally but at a larger scale due to the distance to the viewer and the size of the field to the south. The southern exposure of the site takes advantage of access to natural light, which enhances the vibrancy of the spaces. The west and east elevations both focus on


exposing the stacked massing. The east elevation is marked by massing simplicity and a large glazed surface at the corner, allowing people on the street to see what’s going on inside. The west elevation provides an inviting


public space with an exciting backdrop. The plaza fronting this elevation is raised with respect to the street, but through an approach of landscape steps down to the west. The corner of the site and building expression opens to the street’s intersection, a strategy that provides optimal sight lines into and from the plaza entry point. The plaza is not only the primary entrance to the building, but it also creates opportunities for unstructured play, a place of arrival, an area to socialise or simply a place to sit on a nice day.


a day in the forest The material palette takes an elemental approach using limited materials to create a strong presence in the neighbourhood. The palette includes architectural concrete, glass of three colours, aluminum curtain-wall window framing and prefinished metal panels. Wood is used extensively throughout the


interior enhancing the architectural expression and reflecting on the experience of living in North Vancouver. The wood in the main public spine and lobby in combination with the glazing and clerestory allows for a beautiful


pactfacilities.co.uk 25


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41