Ādisōke [Ottawa's New Central Library] | U/C

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

It's 500m walk. That's a 5-7 min walk. Not ideal. But not all that bad. What matters is whether all the land around it develops, so that the walk is actually decent. Or whether those walking from station will face a decade of a windswept gravel lot for a decade.

It's funny how the surface of the plot of land in question makes all the difference to perception.

Gravel = "windswept gravel lot".

Stupid pavers = "windswept, 'nationally significant' 'open public space'"

[rocketphish]

Three firms shortlisted in competition to build super library

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Aug 13, 2020 • Last Updated 14 hours ago • 1 minute read



Three firms have been shortlisted in a competition to build the $192.9-million super library on LeBreton Flats.

The City of Ottawa announced Thursday that EllisDon, PCL and Pomerleau have been prequalified to participate in the request for proposals part of the construction procurement process.

The super library at 555 Albert St. will be jointly run by the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada. The OPL will move its administrative headquarters and main branch to the new facility from their current location on Metcalfe Street. Library and Archives Canada will have research rooms and a preservation lab. The two organizations will also have shared spaces.

The winning builder will be tasked to create the vision put forward by the designers at Diamond Schmitt Architects and KWC Architects.

The requirements will be released to the three general contractors in early 2021 in the next stage of procurement. Architects continue to work on the construction drawings.

The companies also have a chance to compete for advanced work on the site that will begin this fall.

The city said there will be a request for tenders issued Friday inviting companies to bid on early construction works, such as shoring, excavation and site remediation.

The building is scheduled to be open to the public in late 2024.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...cm/2edc2184-0648-4419-809e-1c55346549d8/

[J.OT13]

September 9, 2020

BIRD-FRIENDLY DESIGN UPDATE

The project architects and design team have expressed a commitment to bird-friendly design for the Ottawa Public Library-Library and Archives Joint Facility. The following list captures the measures being taken in support of bird safety including some of the specifics regarding how we plan to deliver on this commitment:

We have considered the environmental context and recognize that the site is near the Ottawa River and relatively adjacent to migratory routes for birds along the waterway. To address this:

• The siting of the building is intended to be positioned adjacent to green spaces and provide clear space for bird flights along these routes.
• The building orientation and composition of exterior glazing to solid cladding is designed to minimize the potential for greenspace reflection on the building exterior.

We have designed the building to minimize the transparency and reflectivity of glazing. For example:

• Exterior glazing on the building complies with the “Specifications for Bird Safety Glass” as outlined in the City of Ottawa’s Bird Friendly Design Guidelines that will be released later this fall.
• Bird-friendly ceramic frit patterns are specified on all exterior glass surfaces to minimize the potential for bird collisions, which exceeds the guidelines that stipulate that frit is not required above 18m in height above grade.
• Extensive use of horizontal sunshade elements to run angled to the glass and be no more than 1m away as per the guidelines, which provides a level of shading on the glazing to minimize potential reflection areas.
• The glazing to solid ratio of the building is essentially 60 to 40, thereby avoiding large expanses of uninterrupted glazing.
• There is a continuous eave projection around the entire building that provides shade and lessens the area of reflection on the upper-storey glazing.
• There is a projection to provide cover for pedestrian walkways at Level 2 that will introduce shade and lessen reflectivity at the Ground Floor glazing and entrances.

We are working to avoid or mitigate design traps by ensuring that exterior screens comply with the “Specifications for Integrated Protection Measures” as outlined in the City’s guidelines.

• In addition, all exterior patios and balconies are design with bird-friendly glazing to mitigate any “black hole” effect.

We are also considering other structural features such as the facility’s roof-top telecom mast is supported without guy wires and is a high contrast colour relative to the remainder of the roof. In addition, all grates are designed to be bird-friendly and prevent potential fall-through.

In addition, we are creating safe, bird-friendly landscape design with a hardscape buffer between the planted portion of the landscape and the building.Exterior lighting has been designed to meet the requirements of LEED SSc8 (Sustainable Sites credit 8) Light Pollution Reduction.
The exterior landscape lighting design also complies with the “National Capital Commission’s Capital Illumination Plan – 2017-2027”.
Dark-Sky compliant lighting fixtures are specified in the exterior lighting design.
Lighting controls and sensors are used to reduce the amount of exterior lighting where applicable.

• The landscape design has been done in a manner to not promote the reflection of landscape elements in the building glazing.
• The interior green wall is not visible through the exterior glazing.
• Plant species within the landscape design do not attract birds.
• The green roof boundaries are clearly delineated, not reflected in any skylight glazing and are species known not to attract birds.

Furthermore, we have designed exterior lighting to minimize light trespass at night.

• Exterior lighting has been designed to meet the requirements of LEED SSc8 (Sustainable Sites credit 8) Light Pollution Reduction.
• The exterior landscape lighting design also complies with the “National Capital Commission’s Capital Illumination Plan – 2017-2027”.
• Dark-Sky compliant lighting fixtures are specified in the exterior lighting design.
• Lighting controls and sensors are used to reduce the amount of exterior lighting where applicable.

In conclusion, we are also avoiding nighttime light trespass from the building’s interior by ensuring that interior lighting design meets the requirements of LEED SSc8 (Sustainable Sites credit 8) Light Pollution Reduction.

• Light trespass from the building’s interior will be mitigated with the use of integrated lighting controls and motorized interior shades.
• The interior lighting design for the building complies with the “National Capital Commission’s Capital Illumination Plan – 2017-2027”

https://inspire555.ca/updates/bird-friendly-design-update/

[J.OT13]

September 11, 2020

JOINT FACILITY UPDATE

September already! Good news: the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada Joint Project Team and architectural firms have continued their design work over the past few months.

Here is some of the latest news on the project:

• Progress on the design of the OPL-LAC Joint Facility is being made: the focus is now moving to the interior materials and detailing of the interior spaces (“look and feel”).
• The colours and textures from natural elements are also inspiring the interior design of the Joint Facility. For example:
  
  - the colours from the sunset over the Ottawa River may inform the accent walls.
  - the escarpment, the river and its textures may inform the materials used for the floors and furniture, to create a textured effect, reminiscent of nature.
  
  
• Acoustics has been a major focus throughout the development of the design. The project team is working with acousticians to implement measures and use technology to provide quiet spaces, as well as amplified acoustics for the multi-purpose space.
• Three general contractors have been short-listed for the construction of the shared facility: EllisDon, PCL and Pomerleau. The three companies will be invited to submit proposals for preparatory work (shoring, digging and remediation of the site) which is expected to begin this fall. Read more here.
• The building will comply with the City of Ottawa’s Bird Friendly Design Guidelines. These guidelines are expected to be released later this year. Learn more about the steps taken for the shared facility.
• The Design Team has met with local Algonquin Anishinabe communities throughout the design process. The relationship with the Algonquin people has been extremely important and the new Joint Facility has been designed with their direction and contributions. In the coming weeks, the project team will also engage with local Ottawa urban Indigenous community members and national Indigenous organizations. The project team will host three videoconference sessions and an online survey to get feedback on how to weave other First Nations, Inuit, Metis cultural elements into the design, services and programming. With this additional feedback, the design will continue to be refined and the Joint Facility Project Team plans to unveil updated renderings in early 2021.

Stay tuned!

https://inspire555.ca/updates/joint-facility-update/

[J.OT13]

The August 5th NCC review panel featured new material and renderings. I'm disappointed those haven't been made public yet.

[BenYOW]

Blessing ceremony on the site of the new Ottawa Public Library-Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility signals preparatory construction work to begin

Elders from Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation led a blessing ceremony on the site of the new Ottawa Public Library-Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility, ahead of the start of preparatory construction work. The ceremony included prayers and a smudging of the entire site.

Due to COVID-19, the blessing was attended by a limited number of participants, comprising of Elders and representatives from the two Algonquin communities and the project partners.

The idea of a community public library and national library and archives on this site presents an opportunity to examine the nature of knowledge transfer and learning that will take place in the building, and how it relates to the local Algonquin Anishinabeg People as well as other First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation People in Ottawa and across the country. The identity and vision of the project has been made richer by the inclusion of traditional Indigenous knowledge.

The blessing of the site is important and signals the commencement of preliminary construction work that will prepare the site for construction of the facility. The public may notice activity on the site beginning mid-October.

PCL (one of three pre-qualified general contractors(link is external) for the project), has been awarded the Early Works construction package.

The City will be releasing the tender for the main project construction to the three pre-qualified general contractors in early 2021, with construction of the facility to begin next summer.

[J.OT13]

Some images of the ceremony:


https://twitter.com/opl_bpo/status/1314341061779693568


https://twitter.com/BiblioArchives/status/1314309808690991104


https://twitter.com/ottawacity/status/1314302112680026116

[yotajoe]

There was machinery and a crew on site yesterday, they were removing the vegetation and top soil along the fence area.

[J.OT13]

December 3, 2020

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FUNDING PROVIDES NET ZERO CARBON FUNDING FOR THE JOINT FACILITY

In its Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada announced that it will provide funding that will support sustainability enhancements for a net zero carbon building.

Sharing a common goal of having a state-of-the-art facility, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa Public Library and the City of Ottawa are proud that the joint facility will be an environmental leader and showcase of sustainable infrastructure design in the Nation’s Capital and across the country.

This funding will result in significant enhancements to the facility including:

• upgraded building exterior and insulation;
• triple-glazed windows;
• solar panels on the building rooftop and imbedded in the building facade;
• more sustainable building materials;
• and a green wall on the interior of the facility.

In anticipation of this additional sustainability funding being secured, the Project Team and the architects have been exploring ways to enhance the building’s sustainability features including enhancements to achieve net zero carbon. As a consequence, there will be no delay to the project schedule resulting from these changes.

For Library and Archives Canada, it is the second major sustainable infrastructure project. It is currently building in Gatineau (Québec) a second preservation centre that will be the first federal building constructed to the requirements of Canada’s Greening Government Strategy.

https://inspire555.ca/updates/government...o-carbon-funding-for-the-joint-facility/

[Harley613]

Very cool! This will be Ottawa's fourth green wall by my count. Both universities have one and Minto Place has one.

[RuralCitizen]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Very cool! This will be Ottawa's fourth green wall by my count. Both universities have one and Minto Place has one.

The ACCE building at Algonquin college does have a green wall as well.

[rumple-stilts]

Originally Posted by RuralCitizen

The ACCE building at Algonquin college does have a green wall as well.

The Flaherty building (where Treasury Board Secretariat and Dept. of Finance are located at 90 Elgin) also has a green wall.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

https://inspire555.ca/updates/government...o-carbon-funding-for-the-joint-facility/

A news release that doesn't say much more than the December update, but does come with a new rendering.


https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archive...ointing-the-way-to-a-greener-future.html

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

A news release that doesn't say much more than the December update, but does come with a new rendering.

high res

[Lakeofthewood]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

A news release that doesn't say much more than the December update, but does come with a new rendering.


https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archive...ointing-the-way-to-a-greener-future.html

I don't know what it is about this rendering, but to me the cladding in this image reminds me of guide rails on the highway

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Lakeofthewood

I don't know what it is about this rendering, but to me the cladding in this image reminds me of guide rails on the highway

The high-res posted by zzptichka is better, but still seems a bit off from the more realistic renderings that came out last year.

[J.OT13]

Focusing on design changes, they squared-off the 80s mall/airport looking skylights. I wonder how that might impact the look from the inside.

The copper on the roof is gone, replaced with grass and gravel. The roof seems less wavy. I don't think these changes will make much difference for those looking a the building from street level.

The wood columns are now concrete, which provides a better contrast with the wooden wall at the ground floor. More windows at the ground floor as well.

[Requin]

Originally Posted by Lakeofthewood

I don't know what it is about this rendering, but to me the cladding in this image reminds me of guide rails on the highway

I have the EXACT same impression!

[bartlebooth]

Nothing elegant about this proposal. I'm super disappointed in the final design.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by Requin

I have the EXACT same impression!

Just a couple more design changes and.......

BOOM!

https://images.dailyhive.com/20190718110142/Screen-Shot-2019-07-18-at-11.00.26-AM.png

Kinda looks like Batman designed it. Not the library Edmonton wanted.....or deserved.