Location: Town of the Blue Mountains, Ontario
Architect: Williamson Williamson Inc.
The Osler Bluff Ski Club is a renovation and addition onto a rustic 1974, heavy-timber structure. The addition mimics the existing gabled Clubhouse in a modern way and contains a new Great Room, Membership Hub, and Childminding Centre. The design ties together the old and new structures to capture the chalet spirit of the existing spaces. Wood-clad Y-columns reinterpret the heavy-timber structure and mimic the soft profiles discovered through the history of hand-carved skis. A custom Douglas fir acoustic ceiling conceals services and unifies the interior spaces to create a warm and comfortable space for members of every age to enjoy with their families and friends.
Photo Credit: doublespace photography
The design resolution focused on tying together the old and new structures with an intent to capture the spirit of the existing timber spaces while creating a modern and sustainable expression that speaks to the Club’s future. A new Douglas fir acoustic ceiling hovers above the entire interior. Besides formally unifying the various spaces, it mitigates the decibel levels that previously were unbearable. Carrying through an ethos of craft and timber construction, new Y-columns reinterpret the heavy timber structure and are CNC-milled to mimic the soft profiles discovered while researching the history of carved skis.
Photo Credit: doublespace photography
The entire structure was conserved, with most of the timber columns left in place, and others relocated to a new lounge that looks out to the ski hill on one side, and over the dining room to the other. Additionally, for the lodge, the architects drove the requirement for a robust acoustic ceiling. Now, there can be music playing and hundreds of people chatting, and you can still have a conversation using a regular speaking voice. The space is warm acoustically, which complements the warmth of the interior finishes.
Photo Credit: doublespace photography
Many of the existing solid Douglas fir timber frames had been exposed to the exterior on one side causing checks of up to an inch wide. Each timber was assessed and repaired, and the accumulated weathering was left intact, exposing the memory of the old building line.
The high-performance mechanical system is designed to provide the Club, previously heated with electric baseboard heaters, with rebates associated with energy savings and long-term reduction in operating expenses. A new south-facing façade helps to achieve this performance by replacing the original single-glazed windows with a new timber-backed curtain wall system.
Photo Credit: doublespace photography
Even with most of the north and west sides of the clubhouse remaining at the 1974 building code performance requirements, the building envelope and systems combine to achieve an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 130 kWh/m2/year. This reduction speaks to the prudent management of the building and an understanding that Osler has of legacy building—creating a lodge that achieves a high-quality interior environment by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and reusing an existing structure.
This blOAAg post is part of a series exploring the OAA’s 17 Design Excellence Finalists for 2022, as selected by our jury.
Click here to see other projects from this current award cycle.