By the time the construction crew broke ground on the Burnside Gorge Community Centre in Victoria, B.C., the site had long been identifi ed as a diffi cult one. Set in a ravine in a location that had served as a dumping site for building materials and tree cuttings since the , 40s, there were 1,800 truckloads of dirt that had to be hauled away fi rst. The terrain was steep and uneven, and the centre would be situated on the hill's north face. The impetus for the Centre had come from the community of Burnside Gorge, which had fundraised and campaigned for years. Construction began in 2005, but the inspiration for the project had begun much earlier. "By the time we came on as construction managers, the architects had been working on the project for two years,? says Philip Selbee, project manager for construction manager Aral Construction Company Ltd. "Their budget estimates were dated by then, and we had to create an updated budget as a result.? The City of Victoria had contributed the land, but the project came to fruition in 2002 and 2003, just as construction costs were escalating. "It was diffi cult fi nding contractors,? says Sierd Hortsing, manager of facilities at the city's department of engineering. Once a team was assembled, it took longer than planned to build the Centre, which opened in September 2007. "That was a function of the diffi culty of getting tradesmen and enough people on site at the time,? explains Selbee. "But because we've worked in Victoria for over 20 years, know virtually all the contractors and have a really good working relationship with them, we got great co-operation all round.? For Shiv Garyali, a principal with Garyali Architect Inc. in Victoria, the challenge was designing a building that would be carved into the bank of a ravine, while sustaining the natural beauty of the landscape. "The site is on the edge of the Cecelia Creek ravine, and the Galloping Goose Trail passes through the ravine, attracting a daily parade of pedestrians and cyclists,? he says. "To preserve as much usable green space as possible, we designed the building to be mostly below grade with a roof garden at street level, thus restoring this inner city site into a pastoral setting.? Garyali had two major infl uences: the curvilinear shape of the ravine and creek below, and the fl uid quality of poured concrete, which constituted the main building material. "Concrete is a durable, sustainable building material and made possible the creation of a signifi cant roof garden,? he says. "The concrete structure was left unembellished, inside and out, in order to minimize the use of building materials.? The major interior spaces are connected to the natural ravine outside by a fl ood of natural light. Indirect high-effi ciency artifi cial lighting is also refl ected off the exposed concrete. The Burnside Gorge Community Centre was designed to meet LEED Gold standards with a variety of sustainable design strategies. The green roof with water-effi cient landscaping was one, as was the use of low-emitting materials and minimized energy consumption. "We've used acoustical panels to keep the sound from reverberating around, and low-VOC products for carpeting and fl ooring,? Selbee says. "The storm water for the building and parking lot feeds through a ground infi ltrator, which means that except in very unusual circumstances, no storm water will leave the site - it all fi lters back into the site.? In so doing, the construction team ensured that the storm water drains would not be overloaded. For Randall Sharp, principal of Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture & Planning, "this was one of the loveliest projects I've ever worked on. We needed to cover the building by creating an extensive green roof that would remain publicly accessible. The City of Victoria hadn't attempted an extensive green roof before, so it was an education process that involved the departments of facilities, engineering and parks.? The company formulated a lightweight growing media to provide the environment for the native plants while retaining moisture. "The green roof also needs no irrigation,? Sharp says. "It's a total, selfsustaining coastal bluff ecosystem.? Sharp & Diamond used native sedums and cactus in the driest areas, as well as wheat grass, fescue and wildfl owers. "We planted strawberry, onion, sunfl ower and heuchera, and introduced hedgerows with roses, snowberry and pachistema,? Sharp says. "We also introduced 10 Garry Oak and
Burnside Gorge Community Centre
by Lauren Kramer
arbutus trees. This is part of a much larger green corridor, the Cecelia Creek Ravine that connects to the Gorge. We're trying to draw cool, fresh air into the city by addressing the urban heat island created by a neighbourhood that is 90-per-cent impermeable, with lots of shiny surfaces.? LOCATION 471 Cecelia Road Victoria, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER/PROJECT MANAGER The City of Victoria ARCHITECT Garyali Architect Inc. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Aral Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Peterson Galloway Ltd. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Hirschfi eld Williams Timmins ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Applied Engineering Solutions LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture & Planning CIVIL ENGINEER Westbrook Consulting Ltd. COST CONSULTANT Advicas, formerly TBKG GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER Richard Brimmel TOTAL AREA 14,600 square feet TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST $5.1 million PHOTOS: BOB MATHESON PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY GARYALI ARCHITECT INC. When the tradesmen pulled away from the community centre, they left behind a neighbourhood house and recreation centre that provides programs and services to meet the area's needs. Burnside Gorge Community Centre was a long time coming, but its arrival was truly a community effort. ? AUGUST 2008 101
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