təməsew̓txʷ, derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language and meaning “Sea Otter House” Aquatic and Community Centre has opened in New Westminster, British Columbia.
The City’s largest capital project to date aims to be the heart and soul of the community and a place to build connection. The building also aims to make a strong, civic statement while being sensitive to the natural environment and human-scale experience.
The building, designed by hcma architecture + design, was designed for all ages and abilities with a focus on community connections, wellness-based activities, and sporting and fitness activities.
It is located on the edge of a residential neighbourhood north of the Fraser River, which has been a cultural and economic life source for Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The project, located on the site of the former headwaters of Glenbrook Ravine, which was lost to development over the preceding decades, takes a strong stance toward reconciliation with the natural character of the landscape.
The 10,684 sq m / 114,571 sq ft aquatic community centre is Canada’s first completed all-electric aquatic facility to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC) Zero Carbon Building-Design Standard.
təməsew̓txʷ is also the first to use the gravity-fed InBlue filtration system, which reduces the need for chlorine usage and creation of associated harmful byproducts.
In 2019, the centre’s design was recognized with a World Architecture Festival award for Civic Facilities (Future Projects).
The site opens out to the community on four sides and two major civic plazas act as entry points, connected by the lobby, which draws visitors in.
The two plazas have been designed for different arrival experiences. A major public sculpture by Squamish Nation artist James Harry called Miyiwts (“Water’s Edge”) welcomes visitors and honours the Host Nations to whom these territories belong.
The spacious double-height lobby features a local heavy timber glulam roof, with a skylight that illuminates the space and draws people in. Large glass openings, which are flanked by acoustic wall paneling, connect the lobby to interior program spaces.
In the east wing, the design embraces a trend in wellness focused aquatic facilities. The eight-lane, 50 metre lap pool and two diving platforms are enclosed by a sawtooth roof structure formed by a hybrid steel truss and mass timber (cross laminated timber) system. Above the pools, the second level fitness centre is nestled into the nooks and crannies between the large roof volumes.
Extensive public and stakeholder group engagement took place over two years and involved over 3,000 people, including urban Indigenous, Host Nations and multicultural groups, and an accessibility committee. Community input helped make many of the decisions that guided the design of the facility.
A Naming Advisory Panel made up of urban Indigenous and local First Nations gifted the name təməsew̓txʷ to the centre. Meaning “sea otter house” in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the Down River language of local First Nations, the panel chose the name due to the “playfulness, joyfulness, and family-oriented nature of the sea otter,” which reflects themes that came up during community engagement.
Inclusive design and physical accessibility are core aspects of the facility’s planning and detailing. The pool change rooms offer options for all-genders as well as dedicated male and female spaces. The project will receive its Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Gold Certification in the coming weeks.
In addition to achieving the CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard, the project is also on track to receive LEED Gold certification. The innovative InBlue pool filtration and disinfection system is expected to have a major impact on guest experience, as well as minimizing pump energy consumption by almost 50 per cent and improving air and water quality.
“Aquatic centres are some of the worst offenders when it comes to energy use and carbon emissions, so it’s been incredibly rewarding to complete Canada’s first all-electric, zero carbon building-certified facility. We couldn’t have achieved this without the City of New Westminster’s vision and commitment to the project as well as to their Seven Bold Steps for Climate Action,” said Paul Fast, principal, hcma architecture + design.