Scheduled for completion in fall 2009, Le Scandinave Spa Whistler represents an C$8 million investment and will be Gestion Rivière du Diable’s (GRD) fourth Le Scandinave Spa. Pierre Brisson, GRD president, and Annique Aird, Le Scandinave Spa Whistler general manager, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony marking the beginning of construction managed by Whistler Construction.
Initiated in 2004 by GRD’s Benoît Berthiaume and Pierre Brisson, along with Patrick St.-Arnaud as partner in Le Scandinave Spa Whistler, this project has now become reality. "What better place to be than at the number one ski resort in North America?" Brisson asked rhetorically. "This new location will without doubt become a benchmark for the development of our future spas."
The 20,000 square-foot facility will consist of six separate buildings on three acres of forest hillside, on the edge of Lost Lake and Spruce Grove parks. Whistler architectural firm Murdoch + Company designed the spa to complement its natural setting, minimizing wherever possible its impact on the environment.
"The success of the design architecturally relies on an ability to be ‘in the heart of nature,’ with the architecture and landscape working as one," said Architect Brent Murdoch.
Dry sauna, steam bath, solariums, hot and cold baths, terraces with outdoor fire pits, a 14-room massage pavilion, reception area with health bistro and lockers, and staff housing are all included in the design.
In keeping with its eco-friendly mandate, Le Scandinave Spa Whistler will incorporate many green initiatives in its construction and operation, including vegetated “green” roofs, optimized solar access and passive solar heating on all major buildings, and energy star-certified products for heating and hot water.
