TOWN OF MILTON SHERWOOD COMMUNITY CENTRE Milton / Ontario / Canada
CONTEXT The Sherwood Community Centre is a community hub for the Town of Milton, Ontario – 80km west of Toronto, Canada. It is a ‘gateway’ project at the entrance of the town’s principal Main Street, with the historic town centre to the east and protected rural areas at the foot of the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve Niagara Escarpment directly to the west. The building is on a large greenfield, sloping site with a view of the escarpment and ravine. The community centre adjoins existing baseball diamonds to the west, creating a park precinct in a rapidly developing residential area.
Its site, facing a main road that serves a large suburban area to the east, is neighboured by a watershed and sports fields to the south, while to the west, only a few single-family residences separate the Centre from open fields. This places it in a location that is ideal for access to the park, nearby multi-use trails, cycling routes and sidewalks, and proximate enough to the central business district to serve as a public hub and amenity space for the entire town.
PROJECT SITE
SITE CONTEXT
SITE PLAN
The development of the site was phased to include a new skate park, playground, and bike paths and trails to existing parkland directly to the west.
The Centre’s 128,000-square-foot program follows a roughly U-shaped plan, with the southwestern end of the structure turned over to two arenas for hockey and other indoor sports.
The building plan form wraps the library, pool and social heart around a large exterior courtyard with reading and garden spaces. It is an efficient building footprint that connects to green space, maximizes views of program areas, and minimizes corridors. Main program elements are arranged around a flexible, central social space that has interior views to the arenas and pool and opens directly to the library reading room.
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GROUND FLOOR PLAN 13
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Lobby Universal Changerooms Leisure Pool Lap Pool Library Children’s Space Multipurpose Room Community Kitchen Older Adult Activity Space Active Living Studio Multipurpose Activity Space Meeting Room Admin Concession Arena Changerooms First Aid
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GROUND FLOOR PLAN 13
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Lobby Universal Changerooms Leisure Pool Lap Pool Library Children’s Space Multipurpose Room Community Kitchen Older Adult Activity Space Active Living Studio Multipurpose Activity Space Meeting Room Admin Concession Arena Changerooms First Aid
Inside the east wing is a branch library with a new shelving scheme designed to help browsers find books more easily, as well as doors that open onto a sheltered reading garden.
Natural light is introduced into all rooms. Continuous skylight slots at the edge of the lobby and natatorium allow light to play onto the stone and tile wall surfaces. Insulated polycarbonate panels provide abundant natural light into the arenas and a full-height curtain wall opens the interior social space to the courtyard.
Within this social heart of the building is a centrally located multipurpose space that can be used as an extension to the library, a tournament room, a general purpose room, or an extension to the social space during large community-based events, as needed. Designed for flexibility and adaptability, the Centre will meet a multitude of requirements for the local residents and seniors community for years to come.
The finishes and detailing are contextual. The eramosa limestone panel walls and white oak ceilings relate directly to the facility’s unique location at the foot of the Niagara Escarpment. The building exterior is an interpretation of the 19th century ‘board and batten’ farmhouse cladding pattern that is familiar in the area, with the historic wall texture reinterpreted in vertical charcoal-grey zinc wall panels. The building was designed with rational structural steel heights and spans. This planning discipline formed a simple, sculptural massing that then allowed the construction budget to incorporate elegant materials and to allow for the lobby to be the primary central public space of the building.
MJMA Copyright © 2022 by MJMA All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. For more information about this project, please contact:
Amanda Chong T: 416-593-6796 ext 245 E: achong@mjma.com www.mjma.ca