Malinka Art Gallery
Building Location - Naramata, BC
Architect & Builder - F2A Architecture
Photography - Katie Huisman
MEW’s Contribution - Site Prep | Assembly of steel substructure | Framing | Structural Beamwork | Stainless steel siding/ roofing panel installation | Finishing | Site management and labour
The initial brief was to join a floating box structure to the existing living space via an enclosed breezeway. Minimal site disturbance was crucial, as was showcasing the natural granite that characterizes the site.
From there, the entire job was a lesson in stepping back, respecting site conditions, re-evaluating, collaborative problem solving, and directed execution.
Design
The box sits in a bent metal tub, grounded by round posts carved lightly into the granite below. Glulam structural elements were infilled with glazing panels or, alternatively, by prefabriated SIP panels to make up the floor and ceiling and parts of the walls. The torch-on roofing is hidden by stainless steel panels that bend over the roofs edge to maintain it’s distinctly cuboid facade. These panels are fastened to an intricate hattrack system that houses three motorized shade awnings on the west wall, provides a rainscreen cavity and also hides intrinsic roof drains. For the south wall, mirrored stainless panels were used to accentuate the building’s ties to the landscape.
The breezeway is constructed with fir glulam beams and infilled with custom cut glazing panels that fit directly into grooves cut in the granite. The ceiling is comprised of a 3 piece CLT that was craned in from a staging area 80’ below. A solid metal stairway floats over the exposed rock interior while the bottom two tread profiles are, again, cut directly into the rock. Finally, the dark stained Ipe decking conforms to the contours of the rock face that eventually recedes beneath it creating a perfect spot to sit and absorb the building and the nature it accentuates.
Learning
There was no shortage of learning on this job. The construction detailing was intricate and allowed very slim tolerances for fitting components. Each new stage required thoughtful planning and tempered implementation but the end result, we think, speaks for itself.
We’re thankful to F2A Architecture, who at the time were Florian Maurer, Austin Hawkins, Eric Lajoie and Caspar Viereckel, for their support, vision and trust with this project.
