Ross Creek Lamella

Location:

Ross Creek, Nova Scotia

Date:

2009-2010

Team:

Ted Cavanagh, M1 Design Studio 

Description: 

The lamella structure provides a sheltered dining area for the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, a children's performing arts camp located near Canning, Nova Scotia, and is the result of a collaboration between Coastal Studio and students in the Faculty of Architecture & Planning at Dalhousie University. 

Computer-aided modelling and fabrication tools were used to generate the innovative and elegant design - a dramatically arcing structure achieved through the use of intersecting helixes. This system of design and construction enables the lamella to span a large distance using only short timber members. The polycarbonate cladding of the dining pavilion absorbs and mutes the colours of the surrounding landscape and filters the shifting light, giving the structure a performative quality that echoes the mission of the camp. The lamella also features furniture designed by Dalhousie students and the pavilion can be adapted to accommodate the seasonally changing needs of the camp. 

The success of the lamella dining hall pavilion can be measured through its continues contribution to camp life. Since completion, the project has become a central node within the camp, inspiring new development and creative engagement between architecture and landscape.