Commercial Wood Design Winner – Wood Works! 2009 Design Awards – March 2009
Press Release
March 17, 2009
Squamish firm, a|k|a Architecture & Design, won the Canadian Wood Council, BC Woodworks Design Award for Best New Commercial Building: Tobiano Golf Course Clubhouse. The event was held in Vancouver on Monday, March 9.
The award recognizes designers of projects that push the limits of wood design in industrial buildings, offices, stores, malls, lodges, clubhouses and other public spaces. Nominations are judged on the basis of showcasing special qualities of wood such as strength, beauty, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. "Tobiano clubhouse is a modern design building on a historic site. The use of wood was key in this contemporary design to keeping the building warm and giving it a sense of timeless beauty," says Andreas Kaminski, maibc, LEED, & Principal of a|k|a Architecture & Design.
a||k|a is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) architecture firm with a special passion for creating contemporary buildings in resort settings and with a sensitivity to the surrounding natural environment. "Tobiano Golf Course Clubhouse is situated on a spectacular site and deserved a building that could flow gracefully between interior and exterior spaces," says Kaminski.
Tobiano is a new world-class luxury golf destination located just outside Kamloops, BC. The developer, Mike Grenier, envisioned an exhilarating, spectacular golfing experience and sought architecture that would support this grand vision. As one of the first public buildings to be constructed at the golf course, the 11,000 sq.ft. clubhouse was especially significant in establishing the architectural language, ambitions and identity of the entire resort.
A heavy masonry wall integrates with the landscape, emerging from the earth itself while creating a counterpoint to the timber frame elements of the structure. The butterfly roof design lifts dynamically upwards and outwards towards the vast scenic landscapes. Large window openings provide clear views merging the transition at the threshold between interior and exterior.
The clubhouse building houses multiple functions including public amenities; proshop, restaurant and exterior dining terrace, administrative office spaces, as well as cart storage and service facilities at the basement level.
For more information:
a|k|a Architecture & Design www.aka-arch.com, Andreas Kaminski 604-567-1009
BC Woodworks www.wood-works.org
Tobiano Golf Resort www.tobianogolf.com
A & T Project Developers www.aandt.ca