Marpole Community Centre

The new Marpole Community Centre replaces an 80-year-old facility with a vibrant, inclusive, and environmentally responsible hub in one of Vancouver’s fastest-growing neighbourhoods. At 6,100 m², the centre will feature a gymnasium, fitness centre, fieldhouse, multipurpose rooms, and a 74-space childcare facility—designed to meet the highest standards of equity, accessibility, and sustainability. Targeting Passive House, LEED Gold, and Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Gold, the project also aligns with the City’s goal of reducing embodied carbon by 40% while driving near-zero operational emissions.

reLoad Sustainable served as the project’s carbon consultant, leading embodied carbon modeling, whole-building life cycle assessment (wbLCA), and low-carbon strategy development. Our early analysis established a robust carbon baseline, enabling clear, data-driven decisions throughout design. We identified high-impact opportunities—including hybrid mass timber structures, compact building massing, and low-carbon insulation—that significantly cut emissions while maintaining performance.

Key outcomes included approval of a combustible mass timber structure through a compartmentalization strategy, achieving Passive House performance with low-carbon insulation, and reducing below-grade parking to further lower embodied emissions. The resulting hybrid CLT and glulam system delivers a 30% reduction in embodied carbon—over 55% when accounting for biogenic carbon storage.

As a pilot of the City of Vancouver’s Embodied Carbon Guidelines, the Marpole Community Centre demonstrates how today’s projects can exceed tomorrow’s targets. With its high-performance envelope, all-electric systems, and inclusive design features, it sets a new standard for civic infrastructure that is climate-conscious, accessible, and community-driven.