John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse, 2007

• Constructed 2007
• Location Richmond, BC
• Architect McFarland Marceau Architects
• Use Education, Recreation

The John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse was constructed in 2007 to serve as an athletic training facility and social centre for UBC’s rowing and paddling programs. Designed by local firm McFarland Marceau Architects, the floating building sits just off the shoreline near the mouth of the mighty Fraser River, the longest river in British Columbia and one of the most ecologically and commercially important. The river’s strong current is known to local west coasters as generally unsafe for swimming, however, this small stretch of the river passing by the south side of the Vancouver International Airport, known as the Middle Arm, is calm and closed to commercial traffic making it an ideal location for paddle sports.

The building is comprised of two, two-storey, interconnected forms sitting lightly on the surface of the water and surrounded by floating docks. Articulated gangways tie the building back to the shore to accommodate tide fluctuations. The facility is designed to provide storage and maintenance spaces on the lower level for rowing shells, dragon boats, and motorized coach boats. The upper level encompasses space for receptions and conventions. In the words of the architect, “the distinctive form of the boathouse was a deliberate step away from the typology typical of boathouses built in the past century. Rather than drawing inspiration from historical precedents, the design was inspired by elements of the sport of rowing. The curved shapes and repeating modules of the building speak to the rowing motion and to the form of the rowing shell, and the building, like the rowing shell, sits lightly on the water leaving little impact on the surrounding environment.”