Serving as a gateway to the community of Richmond, the Minoru Centre for Active Living is located in Richmond's city centre next to Minoru Park, Minoru Arenas, and the Library & Cultural Centre. The 105,000 square foot facility features a premier aquatics centre, an 8,500 square foot fitness centre, a seniors community centre, athletic team rooms, event spaces, and an outdoor community plaza. The aquatics centre features Canada's largest hot tub, three different pools for all ages and swimming abilities, a wellness area featuring a polar plunge pool, a drop slide, and a climbing wall.

The Minoru Centre for Active Living features Spruce Pine Glulam beams throughout the centre. Wood was chosen for the building to help create a sense of "flow", driving the design of a hybrid steel/glulam roof frame wrapping three diverse spaces into one continuous building form. Wood also brought structural benefits, including reducing the overall weight of the structure and providing durable performance in the aquatics centre. Spruce Pine Glulam beams help maintain the visual flow inside and out. The total potential carbon benefit for using wood is 581 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equal to taking 123 cars off the road for a year or having enough energy to power 61 homes for a year.

Architect: HCMA

Engineer: Fast + Epp

Photography: Kinsol Timber

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Awards:

• ‍Wood WORKS! BC Community Recognition Award for Use of Wood in Community Projects - Lower Mainland Local Government Association (2021)
• 2021 IPC IAKS Distinction Winner