Adams Lake Health + Wellness Centre

The Adams Lake Multipurpose Facility was conceived as a community service hub, bridging childcare, Aboriginal Head Start programs, and visiting professional services within a single building. At 14,000 sq. ft. on the main level with an additional 600 sq. ft. basement, the facility is organized as a one-storey, slab-on-grade wood-framed structure that prioritizes renewable materials and efficient building systems.

Wood defines both the structure and spirit of the project. Conventional light wood framing forms the building’s envelope and interior partitions, paired with added layers of gypsum wallboard for fire separation. Acoustic performance was carefully engineered through resilient channels, sealed doors, and staggered outlets, ensuring privacy and comfort between program areas. The high-performance envelope—composed of well-insulated walls and fiberglass windows—allowed for a smaller mechanical system, further improving energy efficiency.

At the heart of the design are four massive structural pillars, harvested directly from the Adams Lake Indian Band’s traditional territory. Serving as both load-bearing elements and cultural anchors, the logs reflect the community’s deep connection to forestry and the land. Their placement establishes a central gathering space that embodies the facility’s wellness-driven mission while highlighting wood’s capacity to serve functional, spiritual, and symbolic roles simultaneously.

Through its wood structure, durable detailing, and cultural grounding, the Adams Lake Multipurpose Facility transforms what is often an institutional model of essential services into a welcoming, wellness-oriented environment. By drawing on renewable materials, efficient systems, and the symbolic presence of locally harvested structural pillars, the design shifts perception from clinical to community-focused, creating a place that supports both care and cultural identity.