Located downstream of the historic Peterborough Lift Lock, the 7,500-square-meter Canadian Canoe Museum overlooks the canal and surrounding forest through glazed walls that wrap around the entire building. “The design works organically with the land rather than overwhelming it,” said Heneghan Peng Architects. “The museum embraces aboriginal wisdom to live and build lightly on the land.” The museum’s curvaceous shape takes cues from the riverine landscape and is partly sunken into the ground to protect its collection of canoes and kayaks, some of which dates back to the 18th century.
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Sustainability was a key component of the museum design. The building, which is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification, will be built with geothermal heating and cooling systems to minimize energy use. The insulating green roof will grow an edible garden featuring native and aboriginal plants, such as beans and squash. Construction is slated to begin 2017 and the project is expected to be complete by 2020.
+ Heneghan Peng Architects
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