1 day Ago By David Parker, Calgary Herald
An exciting project that has been in incubation for far too long is now full steam ahead. The National accessArts Centre has been seeking approvals to convert the former Scout building along Brownsea Road N.W.
for a very long time. Renovations at the city-owned building have been held up due to Heritage Calgary insisting the concrete steps at the entrance be saved, despite its intended use for people with accessibility challenges. Now, Trico has stepped up to the plate and that building, named Trico Fine Arts Building, is to be completely gutted and retrofitted to hold visual arts programs and administrative offices.
A new accessible entrance will be added on the east side of the building. West of that building, DIALOG’s design of the Multidisciplinary Disability and Community Arts Hub (MDCAH) sets a new benchmark for sustainability in cultural infrastructure. Designed by the Calgary office of DIALOG, partner-in-charge Robert Claiborne says it is a model for radical accessibility, inclusive design and climate-positive architecture.
Made possible by $8.2 million in federal funding and $1 million from the Alberta government, the 16,000-square-foot facility is also the recipient of the largest-ever grant from the CaGBC — Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program — resulting in the campus being net zero carbon and run entirely on clean energy. Jodi James, an associate at DIALOG who assisted Claiborne throughout the design relationship, is excited about the dramatic use of mass timber that bursts out in a huge cantilever that provides a low-maintenance roof over the outdoor theatre stage.
A long glass frontage allows for a seamless connectivity of activity from the indoor theatre space under the high canopy, and dramatic, suspended lighting. The theatres are not designed as performance stages, but rather as areas where students can practice and rehearse dancing, music and acting. In the two-storey portion of MDCAH, a gallery, music and dance rooms, as well as space for digital media/film programs, are located on the second floor.
The main level will feature an event space and a second Calgary location for the award-winning social enterprise Lil E Coffee Café. Its original site in The Ampersand complex was a big dream to empower people with intellectual and development disabilities with life skills they need to thrive in the workplace and beyond. A non-profit charitable organization, Lil E only hires people with disabilities.
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