Opened in 2019, the Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton represents a landmark in integrated community design benefiting a range of user groups — from athletes and performers to students and commuters. Focused on efficient multimodal transportation and exterior amenity design, we partnered with GGA on a master plan that integrates diverse programming, including a 330,000-square-foot recreation facility, high school, massive storm pond, and underground LRT station.

groundcubed prioritized cohesiveness between outdoor and indoor spaces. Sprawling plazas connect three main entry points, each designed for active and passive gathering. Public realm features include a sunken lawn, amphitheatre, reading garden, and playful hillside slide near the daycare. Inside the world’s largest YMCA, you'll find two NHL-sized arenas, a triple gymnasium, state-of-the-art fitness studios, running tracks, aquatic zones, theatres, retail, and much more.

Sustainability measures such as low-water landscapes, bio-retention, and clustered native plantings reinforce the facility’s role as a model for environmentally responsible development.

Among the project’s biggest challenges was integrating diverse functions and stakeholder needs within a single, streamlined plan. Design needed to reconcile recreational, educational, transportation, and public space requirements while maintaining community flow. Building accessible connections with the surrounding neighbourhood and transit networks was another critical project component.

Another key hurdle? Economic viability. We engaged the cost estimator early and often to ensure budget discipline without sacrificing quality, ambition, or functionality. Strategically placing programs along circulation routes maximized spatial efficiency, while design details like sweeping roof spans and optimized natural light enhance comfort and usability for all.