https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/1310 en-us Two striking indoor pools, by Bing Thom and HCMA, use wood in unexpected ways and provide a Vancouver suburb with new landmarks.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11759 Fri, 01 Jul 2016 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11759-bing-thom-and-hcma-design-two-pools-in-a-vancouver-suburb The undulating roof of HCMA’s aquatic center in Grandview Heights imbues it with visual drama while providing the needed height for diving platforms. Photo © Ema Peter The size and massing of HCMA’s aquatic center in Grandview Heights will make it the centerpiece of a new residential neighborhood to be developed on the surrounding farmland. Photo © Ema Peter The roller-coaster-like contours of the ceiling at Grandview Heights are made up of pairs of exceedingly slender curved glue laminated beams. Photo © Ema Peter The paired beams at Grandview Heights are supported at each end of the building by concrete buttresses and at midspan by V-shaped concrete columns that help articulate the entrance area. Photo © Ema Peter Images Courtesy HCMA Images Courtesy HCMA The afternoon sun seeps through a discreet row of skylights at Bing Thom’s Guildford Aquatic Centre, casting stripes of light upon the east wall. Photo © Ema Peter The precast aggregate-concrete panels that clad Bing Thom’s Guildford Aquatic Centre were tinted three different shades and fabricated in varying sizes to animate the facade. Photo © Ema Peter At Bing Thom’s Guildford Aquatic Centre, a pedestrian bridge runs over the pool, linking the main entrance and a secondary entrance. Photo © Ema Peter The prefabricated trusses at Bing Thom’s Guildford Aquatic Centre are made of laminated strand lumber painted with semitransparent white exterior-grade paint. At 10 feet high, 8 feet wide, and 95 feet long, each truss is large enough for a person to walk through to service the sprinklers, lighting, and mechanical systems hidden within. Photo © Ema Peter The laminated strand trusses for the Guildford pool were fabricated in a factory with services such as sprinklers, lighting, and mechanical systems already installed and then trucked to the site. Photo courtesy StructureCraft The laminated strand trusses for the Guildford pool were fabricated in a factory with services such as sprinklers, lighting, and mechanical systems already installed and then trucked to the site. Photo courtesy StructureCraft Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects Architects assigned to create an addition to an existing structure often face a delicate task.

]]> arena_stage.asp Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7374-arena-stage-at-the-mead-center-for-american-theater The main entrance, on Sixth Street, abuts the Kogod Cradle.   The complex in 1971, with the Fichandler (left in photo) and Kreeger (upper right) theaters. Photo courtesy Arena Stage From the main lobby, theatergoers enter Harry Weese’s Fichandler Stage (1961) or gaze out the glass window wall to the Washington Channel.   The elevation along Maine Avenue emphasizes the center’s glassy amoeboid shape with a cantilevered roof sailing over an upper-level terrace.   The main entrance to the center, along Sixth Street, is embedded in the glass wall topped by a white canopy, which is supported by timber columns.   The Fichandler kept its arena plan, although it was reduced by 200 seats for acoustical modifications.   From the fourth-level terrace and café, theatergoers descend stairs between the Kogod Cradle and the Kreeger (on the right).   Poplar wood stained black partially wraps the exterior of the concrete Cradle and its entry ramp. Next to it, the grand stair leads down to the main entrance on Sixth Street.   Theatergoers walk along the curved ramp where enclosing walls tilt 4 degrees off plumb. They soon arrive at the oval auditorium.   Theatergoers walk along the curved ramp where enclosing walls tilt 4 degrees off plumb. They soon arrive at the oval auditorium.   The interior of the Kogod Cradle, an intimate 200-seat space, required special acoustical treatment using a poplar-wood basket weave.   Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects Named for the South Vancouver residents who fought in World War II, the original Sunset Memorial Community Centre opened in 1950.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12121 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12121-sunset-community-centre Photo © Nic Lehoux Photo © Nic Lehoux Photo © Nic Lehoux Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects Image courtesy Bing Thom Architects