Surrey City Hall
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2015
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PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.
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400
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200 ft
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178,000 sqft
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Gold
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New construction
In the early 2000’s, the municipal government in Surrey, BC’s largest municipality, started on the path of designing a new central Civic Centre that will be comprised of a new City Hall to house a growing government, an underground parkade, a central outdoor public plaza, as well as a future hotel, university campus, library, and commercial office space. With a growing population that placed a particular emphasis on environmental sustainability, the buildings HVAC system was originally designed around a geothermal borefield drilled under the building. The award winning City Hall’s renewable heating system operated so well in its early years of operation, that it initiated a plan for a city wide district energy system.
2015 Award Winning Project: Surrey Civic Centre
A bold and dramatic building that is nonetheless refined and elegant. A fitting statement for a municipality that is forging a new identity based on the consideration of sustainability at all levels – including transit, civic and community space, and the transparency and accessibility of government. This is a building that will draw the community in. Its performance metrics are equally impressive.
May 31, 2015
By SABMag
Designed to LEED Gold standard, the new Surrey City Hall and Plaza house the City’s municipal government and anchor a vibrant new urban Civic Centre. Central to City Hall’s public role is its light-filled atrium, a gathering and event space at the heart of the 16,500m2 building. It provides physical and symbolic connections between the Plaza and the city beyond and expresses open and democratic governance. A dramatic roof canopy, lined with local Douglas fir, provides east and south sun shading.
Sustainable design strategies include a geothermal heat exchange system that provides winter heating and summer cooling. The success of this installation has initiated planning for a city-wide district energy system. The Plaza invigorates public life with its multi-level green terraces, rows of shade trees, and connects the new City Hall with Surrey Central Library, a future performing arts centre, high-density mixed-use developments and the SkyTrain rapid-transit system.
Originally an agricultural region, transformed into a suburb, then into a city – Surrey is now the second largest municipality in British Columbia, with a rapidly-growing multicultural population. Civic engagement, social interaction and sustainable stewardship were the primary goals of the project, addressed through the orientation of the building in the master plan of the Civic Centre and through the formal organization and design qualities of City Hall. Addressing all of the community needs, the new Civic Complex is a cultural, educational and urban centre piece providing exceptional and seamless interior and exterior spaces.
One of the greatest paradoxes that faces current suburbs is that on one hand they continue to grow, and on the other hand, the population is becoming increasingly conscious of environmental issues and the importance of reducing energy-dependence and ecological footprint. The strategic decision to move City Hall from the outskirts of Surrey, a location accessible only by car, to a centrally located brownfield site has done just that. As such, the project sets an important precedent for a new, integrated and more sustainable urban vision for the city.
Excerpt from SABMag article.