The Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre was designed by HCMA Architecture + Design to depart from the "dated model" of typical ice arenas, which tend to be cold, windowless and framed with steel.

The recreational centre is located in the emerging Southgate community in Burnaby, a city near Vancouver.

HCMA Architecture + Design has completed the The Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre ice rink

The 8,547-square-metre building was designed by local firm HCMA Architecture + Design to contain a pair of National Hockey League-sized ice rinks, along with community facilities.

"The facility prioritises the public experience, offering a high-performance ice arena alongside a vibrant, accessible and inclusive community hub," the team said.

It contains NFL-sized ice rinks, along with community facilities

The centre was named in honour of Rosemary Brown, a Canadian politician and longtime advocate for social justice and equality.

"The recreation centre embodies her legacy, standing as a place for all Burnaby residents to gather, play and compete," the team said.

It was designed to reject "dated model" of ice arenas

A key priority for the project was to reject  "the dated model of freezing cold, windowless, steel-trussed ice arenas, dedicated solely to sport," the team said.

The team conceived a building with an angular form and faceted roof. A large portion of the exterior is clad in standing-seam black metal panels.

It features a faceted roof

L-shaped in plan, the building contains two ice rinks separated by a multi-purpose area referred to as a "lobby".

The rinks are arranged in a non-traditional way due to the site's tight footprint. But the arrangement has benefits, as it creates openness between the different zones and forms a "friendly, animated elevation" along the street, the studio said.

It was constructed using glue-laminated beams and columns

For the structural system, the team used wood at every turn.

"Wood plays an integral role in the character of the centre, symbolising warmth and durability, and also ensuring quick, efficient assembly on the challenging, compact site," HCMA Architecture + Design said.

It contains auxiliary spaces such as viewing areas and concessions

The lobby features glue-laminated beams and columns, which are visible to passers-by through large windows. Nail-laminated timber was used for the lobby's decking.

A hybrid steel-and-timber system was used for the roof. This system enabled a "complex geometry" and the addition of north-facing clerestories, which usher in natural light.

Red was used as a highlight colour

The ice rinks have walls made of painted drywall and acoustic metal decking. The flooring is a mix of polished concrete and skate-proof rubber, and the ceiling is lined with long-format LED luminaires.

In addition to the two rinks, the centre has viewing areas, multipurpose rooms, concessions, a skate shop and a flexible area for activities like yoga and pilates. There are also numerous changing rooms for the players.

Accessibility was a priority in its design

In terms of the colour palette, white and grey are paired with dashes of red, which add a sense of energy.

Accessibility and inclusivity were top priorities, with inclusive design elements extending to "every aspect of the facility", the team said.

These elements include Braille signage, wide circulation paths, high contrast way-finding, and accessible and gender-neutral washrooms and changing rooms.

The ice rinks can also be used for sledge hockey, a form of ice hockey for players with physical disabilities who can't play the stand-up version of the sport.

It was designed to foster community

Paul Fast, a principal at HCMA, said the centre is meant to be more than an ice arena.

"It's a space designed to foster community," said Fast. "The Centre's ambition is to become an essential fixture in Burnaby's Southgate community, supporting the next generation of athletes, weekend warriors and recreation enthusiasts alike."

Other projects by HCMA include a Vancouver school made of mass timber that is serving as a pilot project for the city's public school district, and an all-electric aquatic centre in British Columbia that is designed for people of all abilities.

The photography is by Ema Peter.

Project credits:

Architect: HCMA Architecture + Design HCMA team: Paul Fast (principal in charge), Darryl Condon (advising partner) Structural engineering: Fast + Epp Mechanical engineering: Integral Group Electrical engineering: Integral Group Civil engineering: Binnie Landscape: PWL Security: 3Si Building envelope: Morrison Hershfield Energy modeler: Integral Group Cost: RTA Code: Jenson Hughes Hardware: Tillicum Vertical transport: Vertek Acoustic: RWDI Audio-visual: MC2 Refrigeration: Bradley Group Geotech: EXP Wayfinding and signage: hcma Public art: Jill Anholt Contractor: Pomerleau