təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre wins Prix Versailles Special Prize

təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, which recently opened in in New Westminster, British Columbia, has been awarded a Special Prize for Interiors in the Sports category at the Prix Versailles in Paris.

təməsew̓txʷ, derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language and meaning “Sea Otter House” Aquatic and Community Centre, was designed by hcma architecture + design, for all ages and abilities with a focus on community connections, wellness-based activities, and sporting and fitness activities.

təməsew̓txʷ was shortlisted against six other international sports architecture projects, including the Paris Olympic Aquatic Centre. It is only the third Canadian project to earn recognition in the competition’s history, with the other two being the Holt Renfrew Ogilvy flagship in Montreal (Jeffrey Hutchinson & Associates and Lemay, café by Laplace and Lemay) and the Apple Flagship Store  in Vancouver (Perkins & Will).

The təməsew̓txʷ facility has also recently been certified gold for accessibility by the Rick Hansen Foundation, which reinforces the principles of inclusive and accessible design that were core aspects of the facility’s planning and detailing.

The facility 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.

 

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