The Foote Athletic Centre at Brentwood College School replaces the former Woodward Gymnasium, marking a new chapter in the school’s commitment to athletics, wellness, and community. As one of the largest facilities on campus, the project was conceived through a deeply collaborative process with students, educators, athletic directors, and facilities staff. Their insights shaped a program that supports Brentwood’s high-caliber athletics while enhancing opportunities for everyday movement, recreation, and learning. The result is a building that feels both dynamic and inclusive—one that serves as a community hub rather than a single-purpose gym.

From the earliest stages, our design process prioritized coordination, constructability, and long-term operational efficiency. Working within the constraints of a sloped site and an active school calendar, we carefully nested the double gym volume within a composition of smaller, human-scaled spaces. Each façade engages the surrounding landscape differently—there is no “back” to the building—ensuring strong connectivity with the broader campus and adjacent playing fields. The second-floor field house overlooks the soccer and rugby pitches, anchoring the facility as a social and visual extension of the outdoor recreation zone.

The design balances spatial complexity and technical sophistication with simplicity in material expression. A hybrid structure of steel and timber reflects the project’s pragmatic yet warm character. The exposed wood and soft neutral palette bring calm and cohesion to a building animated by activity and robust systems. Each space was designed with careful acoustic and daylighting considerations, employing clerestory windows, borrowed light, and controlled transparency to create a bright, uplifting environment conducive to both competition and contemplation.

Systems flexibility and integration guided key decisions throughout the project. The mechanical systems were developed in close collaboration with the school’s facilities management to ensure high flexibility and energy efficiency, allowing for separate control of diverse program areas—from high-intensity training gyms to quiet yoga studios. The building’s efficient envelope, sophisticated campus planning, and adaptable systems support Brentwood’s broader sustainability goals.

The Foote Athletic Centre stands as a thoughtful balance between performance and place—a building rooted in its landscape, responsive to its community, and crafted for endurance, adaptability, and inspiration.

AWARDS:

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Commercial Building Award (Institutional) - 2019