Designed by BGLA | Architecture + Urban Design, the new town hall in La Pêche, Quebec, represents a deliberate approach to low-carbon public architecture. Located at the gateway to a municipality of around 8,600 residents, the building occupies a prominent site along Provincial Highway 366 near Chemin du Lac Philippe, a primary access route to Gatineau Park.
Designed to accommodate a standard municipal program, including council chambers, administrative offices, reception areas, and multipurpose rooms, the town hall combines functional efficiency with energy-conscious design. With a total floor area of 1,417 square meters across two stories, it is the first institutional building in Quebec to pursue Passivhaus certification, reflecting a rigorous commitment to energy performance and carbon reduction.
Material considerations
The project demonstrates a strategic use of timber as both a structural and environmental material. The primary structure employs glulam beams and columns, with cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels forming the floors and roof. Interior partitions and exterior wall assemblies use light timber framing combined with blown-in cellulose and wood-fiber insulation.
The exterior is clad in eastern cedar on a wood furring system, while windows and doors are wood units with aluminum cladding. Interior finishes, including baseboards and reception counters, incorporate timber throughout, supporting the building’s role as a long-term carbon sink. The extensive use of locally sourced wood reduces embodied carbon compared to conventional concrete or steel construction while reinforcing regional building traditions.
Energy efficiency and Passivhaus design
The south-facing facade is designed according to passive solar principles, allowing direct winter solar gain while limiting summer heat through a double brise-soleil. Large glazed areas provide daylight and views towards Gatineau Park, while precise window orientation, high-performance insulation, and verified airtightness significantly reduce heating and cooling demand.
In Quebec’s climate, these strategies are particularly impactful: during the coldest months, solar radiation captured through the south facade serves as the building’s primary heat source. Together, these measures are expected to reduce heating and cooling energy use by approximately 65 percent compared to 2021 regional code-compliant standards.
Spatial flexibility
The CLT roof consists of 175-millimeter-thick, five-ply panels arranged in a sawtooth configuration spanning 18 meters without intermediate supports. This approach eliminates columns on the second floor, creating open and flexible interior spaces while referencing the gabled forms of the region’s historic covered bridges.
The bidirectional capacity of CLT supports long spans, structural stability, and efficient load distribution. The roof geometry provides continuity with local architectural heritage while enabling interior layouts to adapt over the building’s lifespan. Historically, similar folded-plate typologies have been more commonly realized in concrete construction and remain underused in timber. Here, the long spans allow unobstructed views towards the Gatineau Park hills and support a high degree of spatial flexibility over time.
