The Brentwood College School campus is a stunning site, sloping gently to the ocean amongst abundant Cedar and Fir trees. The horizontal form of the T. Gil Bunch Centre for Performing Arts settles into the landscape, its timber frame, copper coloured brick, and extensive glass harmonizing with the forest setting.

The project is a forerunner in sustainable design, beginning with its sensitive siting to maintain trees, through to the incorporation of large overhangs for passive temperature control, and a state of the art geothermal loop that draws heat and cooling from the adjacent ocean floor. Extensive use of glass is used to soften the transition from outdoors to in — multiple doors open onto a terrace covered by overhanging eaves and glass canopies, encouraging outdoor congregation and appreciation of the spectacular views.

This new facility is designed to specifically and appropriately accommodate programs previously housed in renovated or multi-purpose spaces. Its form is a 400 seat house expandable to 450+ for presentations not requiring an orchestra pit. Substantial back of house space jointly supports the main house and contiguous space for dance and media arts studies. The sloping grade has been taken advantage of for efficient servicing of each of the facilities’ two main floors.