Local Architect Jeff Penner recently used his unique skill set to help one of the poorest communities in Nicaragua.

Penner spent ten days in the Central American country working with fellow architects and engineers from across the globe, donating their time and efforts to design a much-needed multi-use facility.

While he's use to designing multi-million dollar sporting facilities in North America, Penner says it was especially gratifying to dream and design for those who need it most.

"It was really neat to work with a community that really doesn't have much," he says. "Designing a soccer facility for kids that really don't have a place to play was a highlight for me."

The country is currently rebuilding after massive flooding from Hurricane Nate.

Working with Engineering Ministries International (EMI), Penner visited a community on the outskirts of Managua, designing a three-phase sports and community event facility on a nine-acre site.

The EMI team surveyed, completed soil analysis and conceptual design for the 300-seat sports facility and 1,000-seat church and community space.

Along with outdoor sports and recreational venues, the design includes a farming component.

"Costs for power and water in Pochocuape are relatively high," Penner notes. "All buildings needed to be solar-powered, with natural ventilation, and fundamentally light to withstand the inevitable seismic activity from earthquakes in this region."

He explains their design took these needs into account, and included sustainable best practices from rainwater collection, natural microclimate responses, and maximizing solar power.

The plan also serves as a springboard for a new group called Avance Sport International, aiming to create a larger network of sport programs for youth in Central America.

With the masterplan and design in hand, the development of the site is in progress.

"There is still much work ahead," he says. "But the plan is in the place. The hope is to have this new community hub provide needed sanctuary, opportunity and hope in one of the poorest Spanish-speaking countries in the world."

An architect at Stantec in Winnipeg, Penner spent a year in Paraguay in his early twenties and says Latin America has a special place in his heart.

"Volunteering in Nicaragua was a personal journey for me, and one which is directly connected with work I do in sports architecture with communities across Canada and the United States," he says. "This experience for me was a way to connect back to my values, and it also speaks to our values at Stantec and much of what we do for communities around the world."

He says it's exciting to see the best creativity accessible to communities that couldn't normally afford it.

Architect Jeff Penner (left) lives just north of Winkler