“ A Green Library on a Brownfield Site ”

The new 28, 235 sq. ft. library was constructed on a 2.85 acre project site formerly used as an organic material dump site.  The depth of organic fill material varies from 3m (10’) to 4m (13’) throughout the site. After careful consideration and evaluation, a risk management approach was implemented and allowed the project to materialize.  The decision was made to install a methane management (venting) system below the structural concrete floor slab rather than remove approximately 20,000 cubic metres of organically contaminated soil from the site and replace with engineered fill.

Some of the sustainable design features of the new Library are:
- The hardy planting materials are watered using a high efficiency irrigation system that conserves thousands of cubic metres of water each year.

- The white ‘Energy Star’ compliant roof reduces heat absorption and reduces the cooling requirements for the building during the warmer months.

- The exterior skin of the building consists of R22 walls, R35 roof and high performance glazing.  These contribute to substantial energy savings compared to a reference building.

- Natural light and daylight harvesting have been maximized.  This reduces the electricity required to illuminate the library.

- Exterior sunshades (louvers) keep the hot summer sun out while allowing the much welcomed winter sun to penetrate into the building.

- All paints, carpets, and manufactured wood products used on this project have very low volatile organic compound (VOC) content and produce very little off-gasing.

- Low-flow plumbing fixtures were specified and installed to substantially reduce the use of potable water and the demand on water treatment plants.
 
- All domestic hot water for washrooms and staff areas is heated using a “on-demand” gas-fired unit saving energy over a typical domestic hot water heater.

- Most construction waste generated on site was diverted from landfills by implementing an extensive recycling and material salvaging program.

These and many other design considerations contribute to a building that will have less impact on the environment for years to come.

Crowfoot Library project scorecard