The new District of Highlands Community Hall is a versatile and elegant facility
aimed at serving the needs of Highlands residents. The District is a rural
municipality, and as such site servicing is minimal. To lessen the reliance on the
municipal infrastructure, the building makes use of green initiatives such as roof top
solar panels, a heat recovery unit and electrical occupancy sensors. Site drainage
is accommodated by a ground level garden storm water retention system, which
doubles as an attractive landscape feature. The building provides a measure of
emergency self-sufficiency by means of on-site water storage and an emergency
generator. Large building overhangs provide protection from summer heat loading
and winter rainfall. Concrete floors, pre-finished non combustible cladding panels
and metal standing seam roofing were incorporated in an understated manner so
the Hall will last well into the future.