FACT: The City has always known the slope of the site, as did the Fawcett’s when they developed the concept for the Kamloops Centre for the Arts.

The project team built on the original Fawcett design, aiming to maintain the original form and function as much as possible while adapting to new Building Code requirements and adjusting for the findings through the validation/design process. When the City began the validation process in February 2024, it immediately commissioned a detailed ground survey, geotechnical investigation, and off-site and on-site civil engineering work, which was needed to validate and design the project to a high degree of certainty.

Since the original concept was developed, there have been numerous updates to relevant building codes and standards, most notably revisions to the BC Building Code, including new accessibility design standards. Seismic design is also a factor, not only for earthquakes but to isolate and limit vibration to ensure performances are not interrupted. These details are founded on scientific data collated from the site through ground survey and geotechnical drilling/test pitting.

The Kamloops Centre for the Arts facility has a complex pedestal comprising the foundations, parkade, and below-grade elements that support the superstructure. This part of the project poses the greatest risk and is a key focus area in the design. The superstructure’s footprint consumes a very large area and is filled with large, open spans designed to support and optimize theatre performance. This requires highly complex construction with significant implications for the building’s below-grade components. These elements—now fully detailed in the comprehensive design package completed during the validation/design process—include provisions for managing conditions below the water table.

The facility’s basement level will be partially used for underground parking but also includes the base for Theatre 1’s pit lift and Theatre 2’s stage and dressing rooms. The City’s architect, acoustician, and structural engineering partners have taken care to ensure adequate acoustic separations are in place to prevent vehicles from disrupting live performances.

Bottom line: As any project of this size moves through validation, many factors are considered and adjusted as they become known. Ultimately, all design and engineering decisions were made to prioritize the theatre experience and stay true to the original form and function that was developed after extensive consultation with the arts community.

Return to Page