Home About Awards Events News Resources Certification Projects Construction Tilt-Up Products Directory login

Sunset Community Centre

The design of the Sunset Community Centre, a multi-use facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, grew out of a variety of influences, including the topography and geographical orientation of the site, the location of a neighboring nursery, and the cultural diversity of the district in which it resides.

After the site was excavated, the material was used to form a series of grassy berms, the lines of which are repeated within the building in the form of a free-form curved steel roof, largely resting on the 46 uniquely shaped double-wythe Tilt-Up panels.

In keeping with the palette of local materials, the interior faces of the panels were left exposed, and were hand-ground for a smooth finish and then treated with a clear sealant to preserve the color of the concrete. A floating precast concrete staircase was cantilevered from the Tilt-Up walls.

The main corridors of the building are crowned with skylights and are bisected by an 81-foot-long spandrel beam, believed to be the longest of its kind in North America. To preserve the architectural integrity of the interior, electrical conduits and some mechanical chases were cast into the walls to hide the services, requiring tight coordination and detailed review on the part of the entire team.

With features such as passive daylighting and in-slab geothermal heating, the Centre earned a LEED Silver rating, as well as a parcel of awards from the British Columbia Ready-Mixed Concrete Association. Incorporating such diverse activities as a gymnasium, a pre-school, and youth arts and crafts space, the Centre has increased accessibility for the neighborhood and established a site organization for the long-term redevelopment of the adjacent park.

 
Main banner image for Sunset Community Centre

Project Location

Vancouver, BC V5X 0A1
Canada

TILT-UP ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Tilt-Up Achievement Awards were established to honor projects that use site-cast tilt-up concrete to introduce new building types, advance industry technology and provide unique solutions to building programs. Winning entries illustrate the variety, beauty, and flexibility of tilt-up construction.

ACHIEVEMENT

2009

The world’s greatest tilt-up structures are featured by the TCA as Tilt-Up Achievement Award Winners. Learn more >

Project Images

TILT-UP TODAY MAGAZINE / PROJECTS IN THE NEWS

Project Team (TCA Members)

General Contractor:
 
Concrete Contractor:
 
Architect:
 
Engineer:
 
Suppliers:
 
Photographer(s):

Project Specifics

Project Category:
Building Types:
Finishes:
Features:
Insulation:
Environmental:
Number of Floors:
0
Number of Panels:
46 panels
Tilt-Up Wall Area:
20,311 sq ft (1,887 sq m)
Total Floor Area:
30,000 sq ft (2,787 sq m)
Project Footprint:
23,000 sq ft (2,137 sq m)
Tallest Panel:
35 ft 2 in (10.72 m)
Widest Panel:
81 ft 7 in (24.88 m)
Largest Panel:
881 sq ft (81.8 sq m)
Heaviest Panel:
143,000 lbs (64,864 kg)
Longest Spandrel:
81 ft 7 in (24.88 m)