Audley Recreation Centre and Library
Ajax, Ontario
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Phase 1: Aquatic Centre, Gymnasium, Fitness, Dance Studios, Multipurpose Rooms, Youth Room, Teaching Kitchen, Child Care, Outdoor Sports Courts, Sports Fields, Skate Park, Playground, Multi-Use Trails
Phase 2: Branch Library, Multi-Use Studios, Community Hall, Splash Pad, Off-Leash Dog Park, Custom Outdoor Furniture, Tennis Courts
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2014 Athletic Business: Facilities of Merit Design Award
Combining a wide range of overlapping interior and outdoor recreational and social amenities, the Audley Recreation Centre and Park Complex play a pivotal role in the Town’s efforts to support healthy communities. The building was designed with maximized connections to the exterior to accommodate expansion: its two completed phases (with a third planned) include an aquatic centre, gymnasium, branch public library, fitness, and multi-purpose spaces. The wayfinding program is instrumental for helping users navigate the phased interior and exterior spaces, with a design that unifies them while highlighting their distinct characteristics.
Throughout the library are scattered ‘living room’ zones that range from large open social spaces to more intimate nooks. The ceiling is a folded plane that facets up to a series of skylights and folds down to define the living room zones with a large graphic identification.
