Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre Cohlmeyer Architecture

2015-01-08 01:00

 © Bob Matheson Photography

鲍勃·马西森摄影

架构师提供的文本描述。Cowichan地区游客中心是一个新的地方，在科威汗山谷举行公众集会，交流和展示。它是BC森林发现中心、考伊坎河谷商会、邓肯市和北科维坎市共同开发的。当地人把它描述为“公共客厅”-随着项目的推进，这一愿景成了我们的口头禅。

Text description provided by the architects. The Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre is a new place in the Cowichan Valley for public gathering, exchange and display. It was developed as a joint venture between the BC Forest Discovery Centre, the Chambers of Commerce of the Cowichan Valley, and by the Municipalities of Duncan and North Cowichan. It has been described by locals as a "public living room" - and this vision became our mantra as the project moved forward.

 © Bob Matheson Photography

鲍勃·马西森摄影

当CAL作为架构师工作时，项目经历了几年的停止和开始开发，以及项目参与者之间缺乏协议。事实证明，作为裁判员和团队建设者，我们扮演了一个重要的角色，我们帮助重新定义了项目以及所有试图推进项目的成员群体之间的合作关系。

When CAL were engaged as architects, the project had been through several years of stop and start development, and lack of agreement between the project participants. It proved to be an important role for us to act as referees and team builders, and we helped re-define the project and the cooperative relationship between all the member groups who had been trying to move the project forward.

 Floor Plan

在过去的几年里，我们一直在探索当地和当地的传统如何为当代建筑开辟新的道路；随着我们的讨论的发展，加拿大最肥沃地区之一的地方农业传统的重要性在我们的讨论中变得越来越重要。南岛的传统谷仓与中央陡峭的山墙和浅浅屋顶的“海鸥翼”有着惊人的一致性。这些海鸥翼谷仓是当地景观中的一个极好的标志性景观，尽管当地人经常忽视它们，因为熟悉的环境也是如此，但它们帮助使考伊坎山谷变得特别和可识别。这种形式符合开发的功能需求，并为架构探索提供了一个很好的框架。

We have been involved over the past several years with exploring how local and vernacular traditions can open new ways of making contemporary architecture; and as our discussions evolved, the importance of local agricultural traditions in one of Canada's most fertile areas became more and more central to our discussions. The traditional barns of the South Island have evolved a striking consistency - with their central steep-roofed gables and "gull wing" extensions of shallower roofs. These gull-winged barns are a wonderful iconic presence in the local landscape, and though often overlooked by locals, as familiar surroundings often are, they help make the Cowichan Valley special and identifiable. This form suited the functional requirements of the development, and provided an excellent framework for architectural exploration.

 © Bob Matheson Photography

鲍勃·马西森摄影

该场地规划独立于任何建筑决策，以及由此产生的新公园的框架、现有博物馆的入口、自然生物沼泽，以及对新建筑的要求，导致了中央停车场与生物沼泽和高速公路之间的三角形建筑形式。在此基础上，我们开始了对传统矩形谷仓的设计探索，并在对角线上将其一分为二-创建了一个三角形建筑，其南面有一个典型的谷仓立面，面向横贯加拿大公路的是一个拉长的谷仓；这种伸展的形式在公路沿线形成了一个夸张的广告牌，当从北方靠近时，它被压缩成一个典型谷仓的前立面-对那些从北方到达的人来说，呈现出一个奇怪的双中心。然后，伐木谷仓又被砍了两次：第一次是在南方建造一个面向公园和森林中心的前廊，第二次是在北边创建一个有盖的东北入口。

The site plan evolved independently from any architectural decisions, and the resulting framework of a new park, entries to the existing museum, a natural bio-swale, and the requirements for the new building lead to a triangular building form between the central parking lot and bio-swale and the highway. With this as a discipline on the exterior form of the building, we started our design explorations with a traditional rectangular barn and cut it in half on the diagonal - creating a triangular building with one typical barn elevation to the south and an elongated barn form facing the Trans Canada Highway; this stretched form creates an exaggerated billboard along the highway, and when approached from the north it is compressed into a front elevation of a typical barn - presenting a strange double entendre to those who arrive from the north. The cut barn was then cut two more times: first at the south to create a front portico facing the park and the Forest Centre grounds, and second at the north to create a covered entry from the northeast.

 © Bob Matheson Photography

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这座建筑是用当地采伐的木材建造的，并覆盖了当地的雪松-这反映了粗糙木板和板条壁板的传统，但扭曲的是，木板是倒转的，内衬着半瓦状闪光-减少了雨水在建筑围护结构中的侵入，并创造了强大的建筑存在。

The building is constructed with locally harvested wood, and clad with local cedar - reflecting the traditions of rough wood board and batten siding, but with the twist that the battens are reversed and lined with galvalume flashing - reducing rainwater intrusion in the building envelope and creating a strong architectural presence.

可持续性举措：

Sustainability initiatives:

社会和经济-商业企业交流经验和展示自己的中心。社会交流和学习的场所。增加了温哥华岛文化景观中的地位和重要性。加入森林发现中心-保证连续性和增加使用一个重要但使用不足的博物馆。

Social and economic-A centre for commercial ventures to exchange experiences and present themselves. A place for social exchange and learning. An increased sense of place and importance within the cultural landscape of Vancouver Island. Joining with the Forest Discovery Centre - guaranteed continuity and increased use for an important but under-used museum.

 © Bob Matheson Photography

鲍勃·马西森摄影

地点规划-一个新的公共公园作为目的地和两个文化中心之间的过渡。一种生物沼泽地，用于缓解冬季强烈的雨水流动和促进渗流，并处理向邻近沼泽地的地表水流量。两个沼泽/沼泽地区作为栖息地和雨水渗滤带的发展。

Site planning - A new public park as destination and as transition between the two cultural centres. A bio-swale to relieve intense winter rainwater flows and to facilitate percolation - and to treat surface water flow to a neighbouring marshland. Development of two marsh/swale areas as habitat and rainwater percolation zones.

 © Bob Matheson Photography

鲍勃·马西森摄影

减少能源使用-建筑采用了旨在减少能源和资源消耗的创新技术。辐射供暖使居住者在较低的环境温度下感到舒适。来自南面窗户的阳光使埋入混凝土地板中的管道变暖-而管道则通过液体将太阳能输送到整个建筑物(我们的“渗透均衡器”)。为所有外墙建造太平洋智能墙。当访客中心举办大型活动时，二氧化碳感应器可探测到建筑物底部和高天花板地区的入住率和开放式通风百叶窗的增加。通风系统利用自然对流而不是机械系统通过建筑物输送新鲜空气。从屋顶收集的雨水被收集在一个蓄水池中，用于灌溉和冲洗厕所。场地设计利用自然排水模式，建立在现有湿地的基础上。

Energy use reduction - The building features innovative technologies intended to reduce energy and resource consumption. Radiant heating allows occupants to be comfortable at a reduced ambient temperature. Sunlight from south facing windows warms pipes embedded in the concrete flooring - and the pipes circulate liquid to move solar heat throughout the building - (our "osmotic equalizer"). Pacific SmartWall®  wall construction for all exterior walls. When the Visitor Centre holds large events, carbon dioxide sensors detect the increased occupancy and open ventilation louvres at the building base and in the high ceiling areas. The ventilation system takes advantage of natural convection rather than mechanical systems to move fresh air through the building. Rainwater collected from the roof is captured in a cistern for use in irrigation and for flushing toilets. Site design takes advantage of natural drainage patterns and builds on existing