Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 02/02) - The vision of Inuvik's new family leisure centre got a little clearer last weekend following a meeting between the design committee and the architect who will design the new facility.

Wayne Guy, of Guy Architects in Yellowknife, came to Inuvik last weekend to discuss what the town would like to see in the new building before he begins preliminary drawings.

"We are developing a project brief that will confirm all the components to go into the building and reconcile that with budgeting, to make sure the wish list is within the budget identified," Guy said.

Floorplan and costing next

The next step for Guy and his team will be to prepare a design development package that will identify the floorplan and basic costing of the project that will be sent to the town for review.

"Once the plan's approved and we have the budgeting in place, then we will develop the drawings into construction documents, which will be tendered next spring for construction," he said.

Victoria-based pool designer Vic Davies will be working as a special consultant to the project and, coupled with Guy's knowledge of Northern construction and logistics, the pair hope to come up with something very special.

"We're putting our talents together to make something that will represent the best of what a pool can be," Guy said. "I really see this facility as setting a new benchmark for what aquatic recreational facilities can be in the North."

"We have the technology and we can enjoy it."

They will try to tie into the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex for foundation refrigeration, mechanical, electrical and other services. That will save thousands off the construction costs.

"We know the filtration pods and all the specifics of the pool will be in a separate mechanical room, but we're trying to gain economies by using as much of the existing building as possible," Guy said.

Some of the existing facilities are already planned for expansion, with new gas turbines scheduled for installation this summer and a state-of-the-art mechanical system, Guy feels the Inuvik system will be come a model right across the North.

Could become a 'model' design

"It's nice to see home-grown solutions that are a lot more sensitive to the needs of the community," he said.

Mayor Peter Clarkson said the meeting with Guy and his team was a good step to inform the designers as to what the town would like to see in the new centre and provide some background on the existing facility.

"We wanted all of the consultants to get a feel for the building and for the project as well as meet with the committee, just to kind of gel the team," Clarkson said. "The only missing link is the construction contractor."

While there will be a new public washroom in the changeroom of the new facility, the walk-in public will be able to use the one in the existing building.

Clarkson said the architect will bring a design package by mid-August, then meet with the committee for comment, then meet with Davies and Guy at the end of August.

"We just want to make sure everybody's on the same page," he said. "Then they can continue on with the drawings."

Construction is expected to begin next spring.