Situated adjacent to Toronto, Markham, Ontario is a fast-growing community with a burgeoning need for recreational facilities. To help meet this demand, the Angus Glen Community Centre and Library was designed to provide a first-class recreational experience for one area of Markham.

The centre is situated on a 6.5 hectare (16 acre) site (Figure 1) and includes two skating rinks, a gymnasium, an Aquatics Centre, change rooms, multi-purpose rooms, and a district Library. The building has been enthusiastically endorsed by the public, with huge demand for the various swimming programs, hockey leagues and community clubs.

In its first year, the building attracted 1.2 million visitors with demand for all activities far exceeding initial projections. The Library is but one example of this success, breaking all records for Library visits in Markham with an average 11,000 users per week.

Much of the architectural appeal of the centre can be attributed to the use of wood as the key structural material in the Aquatics Centre, Library, the main entrances and ‘main street’ corridors, and decoratively in several other locations. The glued-laminated (glulam) roof structure, especially the one in the Aquatics Centre, has resulted in numerous inquiries from passers-by and visiting municipal officials interested in replicating the success of the Angus Glen Community Centre and Library in their own municipalities.