Banff Town Hall

"In a town that has lost its architectural edge, a new government building in Banff is a rare example of bold design."
Canadian Architect, January 1997

The Banff Town Hall is a highly energy efficient, comfortable and productive work environment and a notable new public landmark. It was designed using the latest high performance building concepts and computerized energy modelling techniques. It is more than twice as efficient as a contemporary conventional building.
A single storey executive 'beak' is suspended at the second floor overlooking a future interpretive park site to the north of the building. The dramatic fan shaped Council Chamber sits behind a very large birch tree, carefully protected during construction, on the south edge of the site. Connecting these wings is the two storey administrative block.

The exterior and interior design and materials were chosen to express The Banff Experience to local citizens and foreign visitors alike in the use of colour, material, detail and finish while being durable, cost effective and appropriate to use. The appearance of the building was intended to be clearly modern while evoking the local history, culture and environment.

Building materials were selected for low embodied energy, using locally produced wood and concrete structure, timber frameworks, local insulation and roofing materials and locally quarried stone wall facing.

This project was designed in collaboration with Sturgess Architecture.