Jericho Reservoir
As a fundamental community service, Jericho Reservoir provides safe, clean drinking water and showcases the complexity of urban water infrastructure and its vital connection to living systems throughout the region. The reservoir and related infrastructure are integrated into the surrounding community through architectural and landscape devices with a rooftop public park replacing the community amenity interrupted by the reservoir. Jericho Reservoir fulfills an educational role while creating a unique identity for the neighbourhood park which protects natural areas, stands of trees, and wildlife habitat.
Located on a perched water table within the headland of the Nicomekl watershed, the project weaves together hydrological stories of place. To sensitively integrate the reservoir into the surrounding community, the massive scale is visually broken down through the use of image printed concrete, articulated surfaces, texture variation, and sloped walls. Integrated architectural features utilize water’s diverse material and experiential pallet to immerse the park with the sights and sounds of flowing water. These features provide a public amenity that responds to seasonal variation in water accumulated on site, and further manages rainwater overflow through exposed channel features and rain gardens. The story of water is further integrated into the choreography of approach through the design of the stair, ramp, and other points of access and repose across the building and site.
Client: Metro Vancouver
Location: Langley, BC
Completion: 2022
Team: Local Practice (Architecture), Ratio Architecture (Siting and Conceptual Design), Ausenco (Prime Consultant, Structural, Electrical, and Civil Engineering), Associated Engineering (Process, Structural, and Mechanical Engineering), Lanarc (Landscape Architecture), North American Construction (Contractor)