Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex

Located on a greenfield park site off the town of Aurora’s main east-west artery, this 106,000sf (9847m2) recreation complex provides a range of program elements that were custom-designed for community groups, including the aquatics hall that accommodates the swim club and children’s programming. Within the building, generous daylighting reduces energy use and is controlled through patterned glass, solar blade panels, and deep overhangs. Translucent clerestory glazing in the arenas creates a light-filled environment without the glare and soft ice problems often associated with natural light in rinks. All the complex’s programmatic areas and activities are fully accessible.

To meet the Town’s goals, the building was also designed for cost-effectiveness and speed of construction. An innovative project delivery schedule was based on a combination of pre-engineered and custom-designed structural and cladding systems that were introduced in a modular fashion for a rolled-out tendering process; this allowed the ice pads to be operational for hockey season, eight months before the full building opening. The extreme combination of water and ice environments is handled with coordinated building envelope systems, and energy use is minimized further by means of heat pumps that reclaim waste heat from the arenas for use in the aquatic hall and in radiant floors.