Brought to you by:Architect: hcmaLocation: New Westminster, British ColumbiaCompletion Date: 2024In New Westminster, British Columbia, a new aquatic center by hcma architecture + design has redefined notions of progressive design. Known as the tmsewtx Aquatic and Community Center, the building was planned in close collaboration with First Nations communities while also targeting ambitious sustainability goals. Through a tightly insulated envelope of standing-seam metal, minimal glazing, and precast concrete, the structure is the first to achieve the Canadian Green Building Councils (CAGBC) Zero-Carbon Building-Design-Standard, an impressive feat given the abnormally high energy demands of aquatic facilities. The new building was built between the ravine, and two existing structures, which were required to remain open for the duration of construction. (Courtesy hcma)Tasked with designing a replacement for the existing Canada Games Pool and Centennial Community Center, hcma began the project with a comprehensive study of the surrounding site. In precolonial times, the land surrounding the community center held the headwaters of the nearby Glenbrook Ravine, but the two had been disconnected by subsequent development. Working with PFS Studio, the projects landscape architect, hcma reestablished the original course of the waterway and decided to position the new building along this path, bucking the east-west orientation of New Westminsters urban grid. The restored waterway creates the basis for a new rain garden and park space which hugs the buildings southern elevation. New Westminster also required that the existing pool and community center remain open for the public during construction, further constraining the floor plate of the new building. Accordingly, the new structure fills much of the space between the ravine and its predecessors.Scalloped precast concrete panels adorn the aquatic centers sawtooth window bays. (Nic Lehoux)While the plan of the building was shaped by natural and logistical constraints, the structures height was modulated to accommodate different internal programs. Our desire was to break down the overall scale of a very long, large building by giving each program component its own roof shape, said Paul Fast, principal at hcma. These roof shapes respond directly to the volumetric and natural daylighting requirements of each unique program. They were then united with a continuous corner facade line that only breaks at the lobby, signifying the entry space, he added.This variation in ceiling height was achieved through the use of folded-plate roof systems constructed using mass timber and steel girders. A special roof system was devised above the lap pool, which is the buildings largest program in terms of volume. Here, a sawtooth configuration was engineered to create skylights, bringing indirect northern light into the space.A sawtooth roof was engineered above the lap pool to filter natural light into the space. (Nic Lehoux)As previously mentioned, indoor pools consume high amounts of operational energy. To maintain consistent temperature within a large volume of water, the pools are constantly heated, and energy is also expended to ventilate and dehumidify the space. In an effort to limit energy waste, hcma separated tmsewtxs aquatic facilities into two natatoriums: a leisure pool with higher water and air temperatures and a cooler lap pool for competitive swimmers. The inclusion of a leisure pool was a result of community engagement sessions held during the design process. As the project team learned, many community members were discouraged from using the old Canada Games Pool because of its focus on competitive athletic use.Energy usage within the natatoriums was further reduced through the use of the InBlue filtration system, a state-of-the-art filter that continuously extracts bio-solids from the water. A conventional filtration system retains bio solids until the filter system is cleaned out, which normally occurs every 2 to 3 years. The use of the InBlue system requires less overall chlorine usage. Unlike conventional systems, it also leverages gravity, limiting the energy required to pump water through the filter.The building features a leisure pool to cater to non-competitive swimmers. (Nic Lehoux)According to the architects, the new tmsewtx facility represents a 92 percent overall reduction in energy usage compared to its predecessors. This feat was accomplished through the cutting edge systems including heat recovery ventilators, the aforementioned pool filtrations system, all-electric mechanical systems, and a rooftop photovoltaic array, which is expected to produce 5 percent of the facilitys yearly operational energy. Envelope design was also central to these sustainability achievements. Low carbon materials such as standing seam metal, precast concrete, and mass timber were specified for the exterior, while a robust secondary layer of insulation contributed to the reduction in operational energy use. In addition, the building was detailed to maximize air-tightness and eliminate thermal bridging.The tmsewtx Aquatic and Community Center is targeting LEED Gold certification, and has already become the first project in Canada to meet CAGBCs Zero Carbon Building Design Standard, which takes into account operational energy efficiency, airtightness, and embodied carbon. Because of the projects success, hcma hopes that it will serve as a model for the design of future aquatic centers, demonstrating how this building typology can effectively reduce energy use.The massing of the tmsewtx Aquatic and Community Center was optimized to improve energy performance. (Nic Lehoux)The inclusive aims of the new building are perhaps best summarized by its name, tmsewtx, which translates to Sea Otter House in hnqminm, a local First Nations language. Selected by a naming advisory panel of Indigenous representatives, the name was chosen because of the playfulness, joyfulness, and family-oriented nature of the sea otter, according to a press release from hcma.tmsewtx Aquatic and Community Center won the civic category in ANs 2024 Best of Design Awards and was a finalist for project of the year.Project SpecificationsArchitect: hcmaStructural Engineer: Fast + EppMechanical Engineer: AMEElectrical Engineer: AES EngineeringLandscape Architect: PFS StudioCost Estimation: Ross TempletonCivil Engineer: Aplin & MartinAcoustic Engineer: RWDIWayfinding & Signage: hcmaPublic Art: James HarryProject Manager: Turnbull ConstructionContractor: Heatherbrae BuildersStanding Seam Metal Panels: Parker JohnstonPrecast Concrete: API PrecastExterior Glazing: Columbia GlazingGlass: Garibaldi Glass