systems. From a design perspective, Jennifer says they wanted to create “true product of the Valley” and to reflect a “simple agrarian sensibility while highlighting the views to the mountains beyond.” She says the design process reflected “the local hands-on community build culture” of the village. From early on in the process, the project team had the goal to create a ‘100-mile building’ – i.e. a building where all of the materials are sourced from within a 100-mile radius of the construction location. The goal of a 100-mile building is to promote the local economy and to reduce the carbon footprint of shipping materials from all over the world. In the case of the Radium Hot Springs Community Centre and Library, UAA wasn’t able to source literally everything from within 100 miles, but they got pretty close – with an estimated 80 per cent of the materials were sourced from the surrounding area. “It’s the true definition of sustainability in that regard,” Jennifer says. “It’s by the community and for the community.” “That made for a very interesting and unique process,” she adds. “Instead of starting with community consultation, we started with an ad in the newspaper. We asked, ‘who here has materials, products, or skills we can use to build this building?’ We reached out to local suppliers, local manufacturers, and local tradespeople. We got them to come to a workshop so we could figure out together ‘What is the optimal way to build this The elder’s Lounge is a focal point of the Lobby, referencing historic building form of the pit house. APRIL 2022
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