Existing Building Upgrade Award
Jury Comment
A very valuable and beautifully executed example of the preservation, upgrading and repurposing of a building typology familiar in many small communities across Canada. Also notable were the diversity of activities the building now supports and the decision to make accessibility central tothe design, by relocating the entrance ramp to the front of the building.
The Ross Creek Annex is a music and food-focused community venue in the village of Canning, Nova Scotia, designed for Ross Creek Centre for the Arts as well as the larger surrounding community.
The project is a deep-energy retrofit of the previously decommissioned St. Lawrence Church. The main church hall is transformed into a flexible music performance space that can also be used for a variety of events and gatherings. The building also houses a new recording studio, multi-purpose room and community kitchen on the newly accessible lower level.
The Ross Creek Annex is a music and food-focused community venue in the village of Canning, Nova Scotia, designed for Ross Creek Centre for the Arts as well as the larger surrounding community.
The project is a deep-energy retrofit of the previously decommissioned St. Lawrence Church. The main church hall is transformed into a flexible music performance space that can also be used for a variety of events and gatherings. The building also houses a new recording studio, multi-purpose room and community kitchen on the newly accessible lower level.
The most significant sustai ng new, saving 26.9 tonnes of carbon emissions by extending the life of the existing structure. The upgrades to the exterior envelope, which include additional insulation, a new airtight weather barrier and new triple pane windows, lower energy consumption and increase occupant comfort.
Converting the HVAC system from oil to electric with new heat pumps and high efficiency ventilation system was a future-proofing, carbon reduction strategy, while installing solar PV panels on the roof offsets overall building energy use by 50%.
This church was ideal, accommodating the program without an addition, so the surrounding forest could be maintained. The layout of the existing church with its large, open nave space and additional space in the basement was well set up to be converted into community gathering spaces with minimal changes.
Extending the life of the existing structure also reduced construction costs while saving a beautiful historic building, much loved in the community. The design works within the constraints of the existing building to maximize passive design strategies. The south-facing orientation optimizes solar heat gain and the efficiency of a solar PV array.
On the main floor, the community hall is a large open, brightly lit space with a stage at one end. Lighting and sound equipment are effectively placed for an ideal performance setting. It encourages community interaction as the perfect space for all types of gatherings and events hosted by Ross Creek or other groups who wish to rent the space.
Concerts, music workshops, kids programming and community suppers encourage movement, social interaction and healthy eating, supporting the physical and psychological wellbeing of participants.
This deep energy retrofit, with its heat pump heating and cooling system, have transformed a once seasonally uncomfortable building to one that is regularly used for yoga, martial arts and other fitness classes on both levels – a success story for the community.
Premier Metals supplied the durable standing-seam metal roofing and cladding.
PROJECT CREDITS
- Owner/Developer Christopher Peck and Joan Powell
- for the Ross Creek Centre
- Architect Solterre Design
- General Contractor Cripple Creek Carpentry
- Electrical Engineer Emtech Consulting Engineers Ltd.
- Mechanical engineer M. Lawrence Engineering Ltd.
- Structural Engineer Andrea Doncaster Engineering
- Photos Acorn Art & Photography, Memo Calderon
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