Innovative art and architecture have come together with the unveiling of the new Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center in Western New York. An addition built onto the existing Canterbury Woods retirement community campus, the 13,000 sq. ft. venue is open to the facility’s residents and the public to enjoy live entertainment including theater, music, dance, lectures and more. This multi-purpose space accommodates up to 250 guests with a raised stage and sloped floor for seating. The interior layout was thoughtfully designed to prioritize clear sightlines, acoustics, and wheelchair accessibility for its patrons.
And the building’s exterior is just as welcoming. The unique parabolic design creates a stunning contemporary visual that blends form and function. There are no straight walls or conventional corners used, but the cylindrical shape was achieved by building with insulated concrete forms (ICFs) from Nudura. According to the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, this was the largest ICF structure ever built with primarily radius walls in the state of New York.
At the onset of project planning, it was paramount that the building met several sustainable design and accessibility goals. Beyond it's beautiful aesthetic, the structure had to be energy-efficient, wheelchair accessible, and ultimately cost-effective.
Insulated concrete forms proved to be the solution that checked all the boxes. The design/build team selected ICFs for the exterior load-bearing walls as they were found to be more versatile and economical in constructing the rounded walls compared to conventional cast-in-place concrete forming systems. Nudura’s curved ICF blocks, also known as radius forms, were custom-made for the project and pre-cut at the factory before being shipped to the jobsite.
Minor field adjustments were made to the ICFs for a perfect fit, but trimming the blocks was straightforward since the EPS foam can be cut easily with a hand saw or electric knife. After the forms were stacked and reinforced, the concrete was poured into the hollow core to cure.
ICF wall assemblies offer an airtight and watertight shell. The continuous insulation and thermal mass of the concrete eliminate thermal bridging and implement a durable, energy-efficient building envelope. The thermal performance helps to maintain and stabilize the interior temperature, which reduces the owners’ ongoing utility bills, maintenance needs and operational costs.
As a performance space, effective acoustics of the auditorium was also important. The dual-insulating power of insulated concrete form systems brings the added benefit of sound attenuation. In the case of the Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center, the sound dampening of the ICFs means that exterior noises will not disturb audiences, and the interior sounds from performances are imperceptible to those outside.
Construction work began in the spring of 2022 with the goal of enclosing the building shell by winter to avoid western New York’s infamous reputation of snowfall. But the area’s 2nd snowiest November on record pummeled the jobsite, delaying completion of the roof.
The curved, downward sloping walls and their interface with the roofing system was an already difficult connection that required close coordination and quality control between the ICF builders, general contractor, fabricator of the structural steel beams, and roof installers.
After clearing the snow and residual moisture, the team successfully attached the roof and closed in the building so they could proceed with the interior trades.
By spring, the architectural finish from Dryvit was applied to the façade to accentuate the flowing nature of the curved building design. The exterior insulation and finishing system, or EIFS, provides additional thermal resistance on top of the insulating concrete forms.
Despite the challenging design criteria and extreme weather conditions, the collaborative project team met the deadline for the owner’s scheduled grand opening, just a year after breaking ground. Their wise use of versatile building materials gave them the flexibility to pivot during unexpected obstacles to keep the schedule on track while creating an eye-catching venue where the performances inside are as memorable as the outside.
