Archery Pavilion
The archery range at Camp Fircom is located in a field on the western border of the camp, adjacent to the main road which connects the government wharf with the rest of Gambier island. Consequently, the site affords opportunities for engagement with the neighboring community which has been an enduring goal of Fircom’s directors. The inclusion of a tuck shop in the program combines storage space for archery range equipment with a small venue through which, the camp can offer retail amenities to camp and non-camp residents alike. The covered platform provides shooting positions for up to 8 archers with adaptable bench seating configurations that enhance the flexibility of the space. The platform, situated next to a fruit orchard, surrounded by woodland and peering out over the Howe Sound towards Bowen island, welcomes gatherings of all sorts.
The Fircom archery platform tactfully bisects the field into the range, with restricted circulation during archery practice, and the clearing, through which the archery range and orchard can be accessed from the road. The doubled and tripled up dimensional lumber used for the beams and columns are spaced and tapered to convey the inviting warmth of heavy timber without undermining the light, airiness of the structure that appears to float just above the ground. The exterior skin of the tuckshop is clad in burnt cedar and when closed, takes on a sculptural quality as a complete, black cube suspended between the two horizontal planes of the platform, in stark contrast with the oiled structure and unfinished cedar deck. Minimal finishing has the intended goal of a weathered platform that blends into the field more with each passing year.