A Clubhouse with a View

A new performing arts space was designed for Young Life Canada’s RockRidge Canyon, a year-round conference and retreat center located amid a stunning setting near Princeton, B.C. The complex also hosts camping excursions and activities and is run by Young Life of Canada, a grassroots Christian organization creating community experiences for Canadian youth for over 50 years.

The new facility, known as the The Rock, includes a 300-seat theater, expansive lobby and classroom teaching spaces on a lower level. The theater space features a flexible design that can adapt to a range of performance types and other activities. Instead of fixed seating, chairs are used to enable the space to transform according to its many intended uses.

The design of the clubhouse responds to its context amid the spectacular natural environment. The main lobby opens onto a man-made lake, offering vibrant views of the water and surrounding scenery and drawing significant natural light inside the space.

The design features expressive wood structural and decorative elements, including wood columns and beams and acoustic panels in the lobby and theater space. The design also features glass and concrete and partial steel structure. The result is a sensitive, responsive interpretation of the camp-like aesthetic.