CLIENT: Mckinley Beach Corporation
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
North American Group retained PRI for the structural design of the new Mckinley Beach Pool and Amenity Building in Kelowna. The facility features an indoor leisure pool with changing rooms, a large glazed gymnasium, second-level administration offices and boardrooms, and an external hot tub at the south entrance of the pool area.
CHALLENGE:
The project presented multiple structural complexities, including snow drift loads, heavy mechanical equipment on the roof, and a sloping site. The client’s desire for extensive glazing on the south face of the building significantly reduced available shear wall length, requiring an innovative approach to lateral load resistance. Additionally, the long internal spans required for the pool and gymnasium spaces, combined with mixed steel, timber, and concrete construction, demanded careful coordination across all structural systems.
APPROACH:
PRI designed a structural system combining glue-laminated beams and columns with conventional timber construction and shear walls to achieve the required spans and lateral stability. To accommodate the client’s vision for unobstructed south-facing glazing, the upper and lower roofs were designed as cantilevered diaphragm ceilings, eliminating the need for columns or shear walls along the glazed elevation. Roof structures were engineered to carry heavy mechanical equipment loads alongside snow drift demands, and all systems were carefully coordinated across the sloping site and mixed construction materials.
OUTCOME:
PRI delivered a fully integrated structural design that balanced the facility’s complex technical demands with the client’s architectural vision. The McKinley Beach Pool and Amenity Building was on track for completion in July 2024, providing the Kelowna community with a modern recreational facility featuring open, light-filled spaces and unobstructed views to the south.