Renovation or demolition: the budgetary bias
As we mentioned in the conceptual approach presented in the first stage of the competition, the decision between renovating and demolishing a building is always difficult. During the site visit and the meeting with the client, we understood that beyond any sentimental attachment or ecological concern, the decision had to lead to a strict respect of the budget. However, a recent experience of renovation similar to that which could be envisaged for the Cammac music center led us to think that a total or partial restoration of the building could lead to important budgetary surpluses. This assumption was confirmed by the construction manager we consulted. This expert in renovation and restoration estimated that a renovation could increase the construction costs by approximately $800,000. We therefore opted for a new construction whose functional organization, construction budget, massing, architectural language and energy efficiency would remain fully controllable. However, this position does not eliminate the possibility of recovering certain elements of the main building, according to terms that would have to be identified with the client.
A complex in harmony with the natural and built environment
From the outset, objectives were set to promote the integration of the new complex with the existing site and facilities. Thus, the architectural concept developed allows :
To avoid a single volume that would have had a disproportionate visual impact in relation to the other buildings;
Favour the fragmentation of the proposed new volumes;
Favour the creation of visual openings and framing of the landscape, whether from the inside or the outside;
Encourage the creation of exterior / interior spaces (courtyard, covered passage) reinforcing the links between architecture and nature;
To promote views of the lake from inside the complex;
To exploit the volumes and materials present on the site for the design of the new complex.
In order to meet these objectives, the new complex includes three distinct pavilions:
the reception pavilion
the accommodation pavilion;
the music pavilion.
The accommodation pavilion was divided into two wings in order to reduce its volumetric impact. The layout of the new volumes creates two exterior courtyards, one on the side of the reception pavilion, reinforcing the warm and friendly character of the site, the other on the side of the lake. The latter is a space protected from the wind, facing southwest, and offers unlimited potential for outdoor concerts, receptions, etc. The treatment of the volumes plays with transparency, notably in the vestibule and staircase of the reception pavilion, to establish visual percepts on the lake from the reception courtyard.
The accommodation and music pavilions shelter, thanks to their covered galleries, a part of the bordering spaces of these exterior courtyards, thus giving the buildings a protective character. The accommodation pavilion is composed and oriented in such a way as to offer a view of the lake to more than 80% of the rooms. The reception and music pavilions are both oriented to maximize the views of the lake. The dining room and its veranda can open up to the outdoor courtyard towards the lake during the summer.
The layout of the pavilions was designed to avoid cutting down trees as much as possible. In addition, in order to alleviate the application of regulations on new buildings, a firewall was provided between the music pavilion and the rest of the complex, making this pavilion a separate entity. The reception and music pavilions will be a steel structure on a concrete foundation while the accommodation pavilion will be a wood frame construction.
White painted pine siding, punctuated by painted fiber cement panel surfaces that will highlight certain technical spaces, was chosen to match the existing buildings. Most of the windows will be made of aluminum-clad wood (color to be determined with the client) while the columns, slats and sunshades will be made of stained wood. The roofs will be asphalt shingles, except for the slightly sloped roofs of the concert hall and the reception pavilion, which will be covered with elastomeric membrane.
Climatic treatment
The roof configuration of the accommodation pavilion was designed to promote ventilation (natural or mechanical) of the second floor rooms, which face south. The windows on the lower levels are equipped with sunshades or laths to reduce thermal gains.
The music pavilion is generously fenestrated on the west side and has sunshades and a large roof overhang to limit heat gain. Interior wood panels act as sunshades in the open position and provide light and sound control in the closed position. The sliding exterior doors of the concert hall as well as the side windows allow for natural ventilation of the space. However, due to the heat gain caused by the windows, the lighting and the occupants, we have provided mechanical air conditioning for the concert hall.
The Sound of the Wind, the Voice of the Trees - Integrating the Arts with Architecture
The conceptual approach that was proposed at the beginning of the selection process was entitled "the sound of the wind, the voice of the trees". This allegory, which was intended to be a link between nature and music, seems to us to be a major source of inspiration for the integration of a work of art into architecture. Like a field of sounds, an artist's installation could be conceived under the colonnade of the lodging pavilion, adjacent to the reception courtyard. There are many ways to translate this link between music and nature. For example, one can think of suspended hollow wooden cylinders and metal gongs that, moved by the wind, would create a light sound. Obviously, it would be up to the artist to develop this very inspiring concept.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The jury appreciated the clarity of the planning, which facilitates the reading of the main functions of the Music Centre, particularly with regard to the concert hall. The architectural decision to separate the "residence" and "gathering" functions enriches the outdoor spaces facing Lake MacDonald. On the other hand, the decision to radically split the building into two parts suggests circulation problems, notably by the potential congestion of the main entrance in its role as a junction between the main functions. The jury underlined the richness of the architectural treatment, but the result presents a volumetry that is perhaps too articulated.
(From ARQ magazine, # 125, p. 17)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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