Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/687429
J UNE 2016 | 65 Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library RENDERING COURTESY ZAS ARCHITECTS + INTERIORS by MARTHA UNIACKE BREEN Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library "I f you build it, they will come," may have been an effective strategy for W.P. Kinsella's baseball-obsessed Iowa farmer in "Shoeless Joe," but the city planners in charge of creating the Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library in southern Ontario knew they would have to be a bit more proactive. According to Margie Singleton, CEO, Vaughan Public Libraries, Vaughan's population has continued to explode, transforming what was once a postcard-pretty agricultural town and bedroom community for Toronto into an increasingly sophisticated urban centre. Since 2004, Singleton explains, only one new library had been built, creating both fiscal and space provision challenges for city planners. "A pair of master plans, The Active Together Plan and the City's Official Plan, both suggest that all new library facilities should be integrated with community centres and civic facilities, as this not only generates economies of scale, but also improves customer services. With that in mind, several features became very important to us during the design stage: a library that will be easily identifiable and accessible to the immediate community, and to Vaughan residents; a connection to the neighbouring City Hall; a place that is open and welcoming to all; a reading garden and café; and designated areas for children, teens, adults and students wanting to use the space to study." The library would also house a wide variety of advanced digital media and creation spaces enhanced by state-of-art technology. With such a detailed list of requirements, it was immediately clear that this would be no ordinary library, says Peter Duckworth-Pilkington, principal architect with ZAS Architects + Interiors, who masterminded the design. "We are breaking out of the mould of what people think of as a library," he says. "We had a very forward-thinking library board, who wanted a library for the 21st century; not just a repository of knowledge but a common space, where the community could share experiences and learn – a community growth space." All of this is housed in one of the most strikingly designed buildings to rise in the region in years. For all its size (the building will comprise 36,000 square feet when it is completed this spring), it feels light and alive, with swooping curves and angles, and fully transparent sides, flooding the interior with light. The roofline curves from a single storey at one end to two storeys at the other, with an outer staircase equipped with benches to accommodate working or reading out in the sunshine. And both indoor and outdoor spaces are designed to welcome the community to the library. "The campus is designed like a European piazza, with all manner of things that can happen there," says Duckworth-Pilkington. "And the spaces are adaptable. The setting is designed so you can go there and study or research or read; there's a cafe on the main floor that can be adapted for events like having an author in to give a talk. It's like a piazza, a community square, but indoors." The building's design, both esthetically and practically, may look 21st century, but Vaughan is also very proud of its heritage. And with several important buildings, notably the Civic Centre and Beaverbrook House, a heritage Victorian building, practically at its feet, it was clear that the new library should act as a bridge of sorts between the past and the future. "It's also about what's been going on recently in Vaughan," observes Duckworth-Pilkington. "They wanted a building that didn't just scream out 'me me me,' but reflected something of the traditional buildings around, including the Civic Centre. And another influence was the roller coasters of Canada's Wonderland theme park, which is not far away. So we wanted something that's not just different, but welcoming, even fun." The design of the grounds and landscaping became an important part of this link between past and present, between natural and urban elements, and even indoor and outdoor experiences. According to Lei Chang of Scott Torrance Landscape Architect, a FORREC Ltd. partner company, her team drew on the historical background of site such as woodlots, agricultural land for inspiration. "The site is adjacent to the Maple Heritage Conservation District, and there used to be numerous maple trees along Keele Street in the village," she explains. "The library is a major element of the Master Plan. We wanted the landscape design to be consistent with the overall strategies and respect the historical importance. Inspired by the agricultural typology, we proposed a series of stripes of mass plantings with alternating shrubs and ornamental grasses in patterns that create a strong, modern visual character for the outdoor rooms of the library, and also make a connection with the Civic Centre nearby through semi-mirrored facade." One of the highlights of the landscape design is actually right in the centre of the interior, on the main floor – a giant planter, clad in local Eramosa limestone with Algonquin limestone coping as part of continuing materiality from the Civic Centre, with enough soil volume, says Chang, to accommodate a full-size sugar maple tree. This spectacular indoor feature will eventually be joined by a future maple and beech grove at the south west side of the building, and plantings of white fir, red oaks and other native Ontario trees. Natural shade and low plantings will encourage people to use the library's wealth of staging and sitting areas, including an upper-floor reading garden and an outdoor courtyard. "It's all designed to reflect different aspects of the architecture, and the natural landscape of the area," says Chang. As a state-of-the-art public building, environmental sustainability was another high priority. To that end, the City mandated that it be fully LEED Silver. Senior project manager Les Camm of Colliers Project Leaders explains: "This requires the building to achieve from 50 to 59 points on a checklist of requirements. Among other things, it requires documented disposal of construction waste, and construction and finishing materials that meet strict guidelines. The standard also requires control over the construction process, performance of electrical and mechanical equipment, and staff and patron use of the facility." Electricity use is limited with the inclusion of auto-dimmable LED lighting and natural light control, and strict requirements for use of potable water require drought-tolerant landscaping, controlled stormwater runoff and low-water-use washroom fixtures. David Grabel of MMM Group Limited, the civil consultant on the project, expands on one particular aspect of the building's water management, the sewer system, that saved thousands of dollars, despite the unorthodox design of the building overall. "Usually you have catch basins all around the perimeter that connect to each other and to systems within the building, and carry water out to the city lines," he explains. "But in this case, it would have meant parallel pipelines within and outside the building. When you're working with a public building, you are always looking for efficiencies. So we were able to come up with a system where some of the pipes 'piggyback,' in effect, on parallel interior systems, which reduces piping, and therefore costs." With its high, open volumes of interior space, multiple levels, complex albedo roof and transparent walls that appear to undulate and move like wheat in a farmer's field, we asked senior project manager Robert Aquino of Aquicon Construction, who was tasked with actually constructing the innovative new building, if all those angles and curves were difficult to create. "From a construction standpoint, yes indeed, it creates a challenge," he laughs. "It takes longer to build than a regular, linear building, and we often had to rely on 3D models, along with a lot of math and trigonometry. "But visually, it's a gem, from both the interior and exterior perspective," he says. "It's unique. To see something like this go from plans on paper, to an exciting building like this, is very rewarding. When I look at it, it makes me want to go to the library." A LOCATION 2191 Major Mackenzie Drive, Vaughan, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER Vaughan Public Libraries / City of Vaughan PROJECT MANAGER Colliers Project Leaders (formerly MHPM Project Leaders) ARCHITECT ZAS Architects + Interiors GENERAL CONTRACTOR Aquicon Construction Co. Ltd. STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL/CIVIL CONSULTANT MMM Group Limited LEED CONSULTANT Zon Engineering Inc. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc. TOTAL SIZE 36,000 square feet TOTAL COST $13,335.000 1:47 PM