Two new recreation facilities in Metro Vancouver have earned international design recognition, each winning a IOC IAKS Architecture Prize for Indoor Facilities for Sports, Leisure and Recreation.
Vancouver-based architectural firm HCMA won for the Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre, Burnaby and təməsew ̓ txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, New Westminster.
təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre – Nic Lehoux
The biennial award by the International Olympic Committee and the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities recognize outstanding sports, leisure, and recreational facility design. A total of nine projects received the IOC IAKS Architecture Prize.
Located in the Edmonds town centre, the 92,000-square-foot Rosemary Brown facility features two NHL-sized rinks, a skate shop, concession, multi-purpose rooms, warm-side arena viewing, a rooftop patio, and universal gender-neutral washrooms. The centre incorporaes sustainable features like natural lighting, EV charging stations and bike parking to support environmental responsibility and accessibility.
The təməsew ̓ txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre is praised for its groundbreaking achievement in sustainable and inclusive facility design.
The centre is Canada’s first completed all-electric facility to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building-Design Standard. It also holds a Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) Accessibility Certified Gold rating under the RHF Accessibility Certification program, achieving a score of 84 per cent.
