Located within the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt and next to Macaulay Point Park, the design-build team proposed a design that is contextually sensitive and neighbourly, and challenged the typical strategy of an all-concrete shell by designing an all-wood above-grade structure.

Being located within an existing residential neighbourhood and adjacent to a single family home, the odour control and acoustic requirements were very high. The building’s durability and low maintenance were also significant factors in the design. The noise generating equipment was kept 12 m below-grade, encapsulated in the concrete structure, while the above-grade enclosure uses a lighter and better seismically performing cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure. Rooms that generate noise were lined in acoustic dampening material and all spaces lead into an acoustic vestibule. The building is clad in acetylated wood, which does not require a coating and provides a 50 year warranty without maintenance, and proposes a green roof to be visually interesting to passing cruise ships and aircraft while protecting the roofing membranes on this highly exposed site.

Project features:
Infrastructure
Waterfront exposure
Green roof
Park improvements
BC wood
Cross-laminated timber (CLT)