Centre proposing Lloyd Hall makeover

The Banff Centre is planning a $14-million renovation of its Lloyd Hall residence building.

The 10,219-square-metre, seven-storey building, originally constructed in 1965, is one of two primary guest accommodation buildings on the Banff Centre campus and contains 166 guest rooms, offices, student lounges and banquet spaces.

The Municipal Planning Commission approved the development permit for the proposed interior and exterior alterations of the building on April 13, subject to a number of conditions.

The proposed renovations include interior upgrades on all rooms, guest corridors and elevator lobbies, and exterior upgrades such as cladding, new windows, architectural shading and the removal of 84 balconies.

The proposal includes the construction of a 135-square-metre entry pavilion, with a 74-squaremetre deck enclosed on the east wing of the building, plus the addition of 35 guest rooms through the reconfiguration of existing floor area and dividing current multiple-bedroom units.

The exterior changes, such as the use of vertical wood fin cladding and the staining of concrete a dark colour, is intended to naturalize Lloyd Hall with the rest of the buildings on campus and the park’s surroundings, said Banff Centre chief operating officer Luke Sunderland.

Revisions to the west facade will include removal of the balconies, increased window size and new thermal windows with non-reflective low-E glazing to decrease glare and reflect the sun’s rays.

“If someone chooses not to close the drapes during the day, if there’s high sun in the summer, you’re not going to find at the end of the day when you come back to the room that the room’s baking hot,” said Bruce Chapman, president of Target Project Management, the architectural firm responsible for the project.

“It will provide some level of reflect for solar but not for light.”

Parks Canada says an environmental impact analysis of the project is still required.

The building’s electrical and mechanical systems will also be upgraded to be more energy efficient, says Sunderland.

The flat roof line and floor area ratio of the building will remain the same, with the exception of the entry pavilion. No additional parking will be constructed on campus.

The project is privately funded by The Banff Centre, and the construction is expected to begin this summer with completion targeted for next spring.