The center revitalizes the city’s downtown and creates exciting
opportunities for recreation programming.
The 120,000-sf facility includes:
• An aquatics center for lane swimming, swim lessons, aquatic
fitness and therapy and leisure
• A dedicated childminding area
• Five inclusive changing rooms for families and all genders. Plus,
there are four additional team changing rooms for Wilfrid Laurier
athletics events
• A youth zone for focused recreational, social and leadership
development programs
• A double gym designed for sports and competition with retractable
stadium seating for 860 people and a supporting first aid and
athletic therapy space
• Comprehensive cardio and weight training areas with WiFi
capabilities for fitness programs and access to apps
• A single gym space for other recreation opportunities and
programs
• Health intake consultation rooms for specialized community-
based health care programs in partnership with Hamilton Health
Sciences and Brant Community Healthcare System
• Three studios for a large variety of group fitness classes including
cycling and dance among others
• Multi-purpose spaces for social, educational and cultural
programming
• A Wilfrid Laurier student lounge for group work and socialization
The project received a prestigious Progressive Architecture
(P/A) Award from Architect magazine in 2012 when it was
in design. At that point, the jury said of the project: “It
brings a historical neighborhood into the 21st century.”
The project is meaningful to its site as it replaces vacant row houses
and is integrated into a sloped hillside to ensure it is visually
pleasant and appropriate. Inside, the building welcomes abundant
natural light and open views inside and out of the building.
The project was delayed 18 months due to an extensive archaeological
dig that unearthed more than 400,000 artifacts dating from 500 BCE
to the 21st century.
PROJECT DETAILS
Laurier Brantford YMCA
Brantford, ON, Canada
Completion Year; 2018
120,000 SF
www.cannondesign.com
THE DESIGN FOCUSES ON THREE THEMES –
MEMORY, MOVEMENT AND LANDSCAPE.