The integrated project delivery (IPD) team behind construction of the Oakville Trafalgar Community Centre (OTCC) celebrated the facility’s grand opening on October 22.

The team, which consisted of Diamond Schmitt Architects, structural engineers RJC, mechanical and electrical engineers Smith + Andersen and civil engineers MTE designed the facility with involvement from the construction teams, the Town of Oakville, and the public.

Focused on accessibility and sustainability, the OTCC aims to achieve the LEED Silver performance standard. The building includes rooftop solar panels and a geo-thermal field for heating and cooling.

OTCC is also designed to the Oakville Universal Design Standards to be accessible for everyone in the community, with generous space for mobility devices, ramps into the pools, and high contrast colours on material finishes for ease of navigation.

“This facility was designed with extensive input from the community and the end result exceeds our expectations,” said Julie Mitchell, the Town of Oakville’s director of recreation and culture. “This new community centre features state-of-the art amenities, allowing us to offer a variety of recreation and culture programs to support the health and wellness needs of Oakville residents. We look forward to sharing this space with everyone in our community, as we know it will serve as a focal point for activity, engagement and interaction for today’s residents and for generations to come.”

The 53,000-square foot facility offers a 25-metre lap pool, warm water pool with water play feature, universal changerooms, double gymnasium, fitness centre, walking track open to gym, multipurpose meeting rooms, and a cafe. The 25-metre pool is the first complete Natare pool system in Canada with steel walls and a sand filter system.

Simple, geometric shapes drive the form of this building. The larger volume, containing the gymnasia and the galleria embrace the lower volume of the aquatics facility. The galleria acts as spine connecting the future civic square through the building and out to the new park. Natural light through bird-friendly windows and an asymmetrically ascending wood ceiling bring the outdoors into the aquatics area. The palette of high contrast blues and white extend from the façade with a playful design of blue panel, each colour with a different reveal proportion, to the interior of the design. 

“The Oakville Trafalgar Community Centre is an excellent example of a successful partnership between the owner and design/build team that the IPD agreement type delivers,” said David Dow, principal in charge at Diamond Schmitt. “It has resulted in an outstanding high-quality facility providing good value for the taxpayer.”