The ARC facility will complete a 100-acre sports and wellness park in a rapidly developing residential area of Ajax. Phased throughout development, each expansion has been configured with ‘flow-through’ lobbies, allowing for connections between major indoor program areas and exterior park activities. A concourse that runs the length of the development, connects all of the program areas, delivering an inviting, welcoming and community-centric hub.
The ARC serves as a model for integrating public facilities within the Ajax suburban residential and roads network. The complex effectively internalizes traffic and parking functions within the site, presenting a park and park pavilion to the neighbourhood, easily accessed by walking paths. The result is open and luminous, supporting the overall interconnection and cohesiveness of the site. The LEED® Gold project offers occupants, visitors and the community alike, a green-building experience with educational opportunities through the use of a Sustainability Public Interface. The intuitive touch-enabled display is an interactive real-time experience for visitors to explore renewable energy generation, energy use, water use, and other high performance building features.
The ARC plays a pivotal role in the Town’s efforts of building new neighbourhoods and sustaining an inspired community. The ARC contributes to the idea of community building as a hybrid civic project, combining overlapping public programs of indoor and outdoor recreation, library services, and a social centre — supporting personal and cultural development.