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photos: Gerry Kopelow / courtesy HCMA Jasper Place Library by Jerry Eberts he City of Edmonton has a new library branch and it's definitely one for the books. "The community was very interested in the Jasper Place Library project as it went along," says Linda Cook, CEO of the Edmonton Public Library. "We had seniors emailing us almost daily with questions and suggestions. "It opened a little later than we had planned, but there's nothing unusual about that. The library has a unique design with an undulating roof. That's what took a little extra time." Cook says the original library was getting on in years, the foundation was slipping and the building was in need of a complete refurbishment. It had been renovated in 1989, however, Cook says the present "forward-thinking mayor and council provided the funds for an entirely new library on the site." Project architect for Dub Architects Ltd. was Michael Dub. Collaborating with Hughes Condon Marler Architects (HCMA), Dub says there was a lot of back and forth in the planning stages. "We tried to divide the planning as little as possible in the design phase," says Dub. "We were all in the same room a lot." The planning began early in 2009 and the response to the design was very positive. The large amount of natural light and an overall feel of "newness and freshness" buoyed everyone's spirits. The team went ahead, knowing this project would result in a library building that was extraordinary. "Our main impetus for the design was to anticipate the future," explains Dub. "The needs of the library will change over the years and we created an open space to adapt to future requirements, T Jasper Place Library p86-87Jasper Place.indd 87 whatever those might be. It's a very social space, very open, with no columns. That was a constraint on us, but we knew it would result in a distinctive space that was wide open." Darryl Condon, managing principal with HCMA, describes Edmonton Public Library as "an interesting client who wanted innovation and to challenge current norms and perceptions." Condon says the "most technical and critical part of the project was forming the roof. We really pushed the material, with the whole team optimizing the system and methods." The roof was tricky, but the payoff was huge. "It's irrational and interesting at first impression," says Dub. "But the shape is derived from a specific set of parameters. Fast + Epp generated the form so that it looked good, met structural needs and could withstand the forces on it." Dub credits the team's general contractor, Stuart Olson, for doing a great job, especially on the concrete roof structure. "I think it's unique in the world, certainly in Canada. Exposed concrete can be unforgiving and shows all imperfections. But the potential payoff is worth it. Concrete has honesty and gives the building character. Stuart Olson Dominion Construction put enough care into the roof that it wound up exactly as we'd planned." Derek Ratzlaff , associate at Fast + Epp, says architects at Hughes Condon Marler Architects and Dub Architects initially presented the engineers with several very different preliminary free-form roof options. "It soon became apparent to structural engineers at Fast + Epp that with form-finding refinement and the incorporation of light steel columns at the wave axis ends, the undulating wave-form option had the potential to utilize its inherent structural depth to cost-efficiently clear span the entire space," says Ratzlaff. "To maximize the effect of a 'floating' roof structure, engineers eliminated bracing or shear walls in the normalto-wave axis direction. Typical frame action relying on a 300-mm-thick slab/ column structure to transfer lateral loads over an effective 30-metre building width would result in unacceptable stresses and deformations," explains Ratzlaff. "The ingenuity of the structural solution lies in the system availing itself of the inherent longitudinal stiffness of each wave. The 'spring stiffness' of each wave reduces the effective frame width to the distance between the axis of the wall columns and adjacent waves, thereby providing the necessary strength and stiffness when subjected to wind and seismic loading." Ryan Christensen was project manager for general contractor Stuart Olson Dominion Construction. Involved in the project from the initial cost analysis, he says there were challenges to the project, but no more than expected. "The folded plate concrete roof was the main challenge," says Christensen. "The roof is almost self-supporting and the concrete on the underside has an architectural finish." Chad Musselwhite was mechanical engineer for the project. His company, Williams Engineering Canada, also acted as electrical consultant. Musselwhite describes the new library as "striking, a distinctive architectural form – from the curving folds of the roof to the interior open volume. It's a very flexible space, which was the goal." The team also came up with a way to virtually hide all conduits, wires and pipes. "To avoid distracting from the roof, we pushed everything we could under the floor," says Musselwhite. "It's a huge advantage from an architectural perspective and offers both easy accessibility and flexibility." It was also important that Jasper Place Library was a green project. The building easily met the LEED Silver standard and may even achieve Gold. "Ninety per cent of the space has day-lighting," says Edmonton Public Library's Cook. "We diverted 75 per cent of waste, which is just what we wanted to do. This is not a traditional library; it's iconic." n Location 9010 – 156 Street, Edmonton, Alberta Owner/Developer Edmonton Public Libraries Architects Hughes Condon Marler Architects / Dub Architects Ltd. (In JV.) General Contractor Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Structural consultant Fast + Epp Mechanical/Electrical Consultant Williams Engineering Canada Landscape Architect DIALOG Civil Consultant ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd. Total area 15,000 square feet Total construction cost $9.54 million october 2013    /87 13-09-13 4:18 PM

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