Creekside Community Centre at Vancouver Olympic Village

Vancouver B.C. ● Civic

A legacy of the 2010 Olympic Winter games, a new neighbourhood such as the Olympic Village neighbourhood required new amenities. The community centre was assigned a spot on the waterfront at the northeast corner of the Olympic Village, and includes boating facilities, daycare, a rooftop outdoor garden and a two-storey restaurant. During the Olympics the facility provided office space for the Olympic and Paralympic Village mayor, management staff and Host First Nations. The restaurant, retail space and meeting rooms were used by Olympic sponsors to provide services and celebration spaces for athletes.

This LEED Platinum building consumes 69% less energy than a conventional community centre; it harvests rainwater, uses solar power for radiant cooling and was constructed with sustainable materials, such as recycled steel for structural steel and rebar and recycled fly-ash in the concrete.

The long span structure that supports the roof gardens over the gymnasium offered special challenges for load and deflection resistance, which was solved with a structural steel framing system. In the summer, this building generates more power than it needs; the green roof and large area of solar panels provide energy, minimize solar reflectance and create a very liveable rooftop.

Images: © Bob Matheson