mulgrave road theatre centre for the arts

The Mulgrave Road Theatre (MRT) Centre for the Arts project is the first purpose-built cultural facility receiving Zero Carbon Building certification in Atlantic Canada. Located in Guysborough, NS, the new theatre and community space is a landmark building for this rural community. The goal of the new facility was to provide MRT with its own dedicated creation and performance space, that could also be used as a multipurpose space by the larger community for art, music and cultural events. It was also critical from the outset that the building is as energy efficient as possible to reduce heat and cooling costs and ensure it will stay operational for decades to come.   

The project repurposes an existing commercial building which is reconfigured to accommodate a combined lobby and art gallery space, administrative offices, boardroom and a backstage area with dressing rooms and other creative spaces. A 7,885 sf addition behind the existing building houses a flexible 75-seat studio theatre with retractable seating and a workshop space.  

The objective of the deep energy retrofit of the existing building was to upgrade the envelope to the highest standard possible while at the same time weighing each decision against the embodied carbon of the existing materials. The project required an envelope strategy that would be able to integrate the new and existing building envelopes. 

The strategy included the following: 

  • Wrapped existing exterior walls in 3” of exterior rigid foam insulation and a new airtight vapour barrier (improving energy efficiency as well as occupant comfort)  

  • Added cellulose insulation to the existing roof (R80) 

  • New  high-efficiency heating, cooling and ventilation systems 

  • 57.5 KW Rooftop PV system projected to offset 87% of building energy. 

The project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in 2026.  

Project Team: 

  • Builder: Iron Maple Constructors Inc.

  • Project Manager: Tate Engineering Inc.

  • Structural Engineer: Andrea Doncaster Engineering Ltd.

  • M&E Engineer: A.H. Roy & Associates Ltd. 

  • Civil Engineer: DesignPoint Engineering & Surveying Ltd. 

  • Energy Consultant: LMMW Group Ltd.  

  • Acoustic Consultant: Thorbahn Acoustics Inc. 

  • Landscape Architect: Vollick McKee Petersmann & Associates Ltd.  

  • Renderings: Solterre Design