Lynn Canyon Visitors Centre

The design of the Lynn Canyon Visitors Centre is centred on an large public great room, envisioned by the building planning committee as a ‘living room in the park’. The great room is a 24-feet high space with extensive glazing on three sides, looking out into the surrounding forest. A mezzanine level overlooks the great room and provides additional dining room seating or space for community related functions. An oversized concrete fireplace and heavy timber structural elements reflect the warm atmosphere of a forest lodge and relate the building to its site.

A ranger station and park washrooms are located on either side of the great room. The ranger station is located near the eastern entry to the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge access area and is intended to be highly visible to people entering the site and from the bridge entry itself. The kitchen and service area are on the least visible side of the building, and are screened from the picnic area to the south by existing vegetation.

The building incorporates sustainable design strategies through carefully considered siting to reduce heat load on the building and allow for retention of existing mature trees. Extensive use of glazing minimizes the need for artificial lighting even in the middle of winter. Low flow plumbing fixtures are featured in all areas of the building, including the park washrooms. Finally, locally available materials that require little maintenance were utilized extensively throughout the building.