Fraser Mills Presentation Centre

The Fraser Mills Presentation Centre in Coquitlam, BC, serves as the sales hub for a new 5,500-home community on a historic 39-hectare site along the Fraser River. Open for the next decade, the 660-square-metre building also anticipates a second life as a community amenity, extending its impact well beyond the initial development phase. Its design draws from the site’s legacy as the location of a sawmill, embedding references to timber, craft, and sustainability throughout.

The structure’s form responds directly to programmatic and site needs. A flexible, column-free interior accommodates evolving functions, while the roof’s undulating profile defines spaces for sales and display suites. Externally, a continuous west-facing porch and a 60-metre canopy create a welcoming presence, culminating in a dramatic cantilevered terrace to the south.

A robust wood structure anchors the project, realized through readily available materials including mass timber, lumber, and plywood. The roof geometry was rationalized into 26 unique glulam frames extending from a central spine to splayed columns of varying heights, refined through parametric modelling to balance structural efficiency, cost, and constructability. Prefabricated in one-bay modules, the system allowed for rapid and economical assembly on site. 

In response to considerable seismic demands, the building incorporates an innovative structural solution that uses the building’s eight primary columns. Cantilevering from large concrete footings, these columns have substantial depth to counter the significant lateral forces. To counteract overturning moments and facilitate prefabrication, long threaded rods tie the columns to the footings. Composite construction enables these rods, along with rainwater leaders, to be concealed within the column forms.