St. Ann’s Church

Aldergrove, British Columbia

The design of a place of worship is a particular challenge when it is complicated by severe budget constraints and by the need to provide a lower floor capable of being used as a gymnasium. In the case of St. Ann’s church the solution resulted in a pleasing form expressing a pure structure while conveying the sense of the sacred required by the religious liturgy for which the building must function.

The simplicity and truthfulness of the building is expressed by the exterior, which has a dignity and modest elegance which is not normally expected from the simple use of concrete tilt-up construction. This was the largest tilt-up construction in British Columbia at the time of construction. The vertical severity of the masonry construction is balanced by the warmth of the exposed wooden roof structure.