Leon Lebeniste

The Leon Lebeniste Fine Furnishings and Architectural Woodworking facility in Squamish reimagines the role of an industrial building within its community. Rather than a closed, utilitarian structure, the three storey mass timber building extends an invitation to the public, offering spaces for gathering and shared experience within a working commercial environment.

The owners envisioned a shared environment that would contribute to the cultural life of Squamish and support a growing community of makers and creatives. A public rooftop gathering space with expansive views toward the Stawamus Chief reinterprets the familiar industrial break room as a civic destination. Extensive glazing brings daylight deep into the workspace and invites the public to observe a sector typically hidden from view.

A glulam post and beam structure with CLT floors and roof, with all wood sourced within British Columbia, demonstrates how mass timber industrial buildings can achieve significantly lower embodied carbon than conventional steel or concrete construction.