Welland International Flatwater Centre

Welland, Ontario

In association with VJAA

Sited on a 19th-century canal connecting Lake Ontario to Lake Erie prior to its bypass in 1973, this complex leverages a highly controlled environment to provide optimal training conditions for elite water sports. Built to international competition standards, the master plan and design integrates a major event venue for the 2015 Pan American Games with a year-round elite training facility for the Canadian canoe-kayak team and a multi-purpose community recreation node.

Built on a modest budget and an accelerated schedule, the building's cast-in-place concrete and steel structural elements are expressed internally as finished surfaces throughout. The exterior envelope features standing-seam aluminum panels and a capless, low-iron curtain wall glazing system, contributing to the facility's target of LEED Silver certification.

AWARDS 

2014 AIA Minnesota Honor Award