The Valley Park branch of the Hamilton Public Library has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, which recognizes its sustainable design and solidifies its position in the community as a key educational facility.
Designed by mcCallumSather, the 2,462 m2 (26,500 sf) addition opened in 2022 and rose from the 15th to the third most used space among the Hamilton Public Library branches, drawing in 171,000 visitors with its new expanded space.
“Library design is one of our passions, perhaps because they have such potential for social, economic, and environmental impact within our communities; pillars of what sustainability means within our work,” says Drew Hauser, director of design & business development at mcCallumSather. “One of the most exciting elements of library design is how we can use these community spaces as an educational tool demonstrating sustainable design leadership within their communities as we all strive for a net-zero carbon community by 2050.”
Projects pursuing a LEED certification earn points for green building strategies across several categories and aspects of design that are vigorously measured and verified through design, construction, and post construction. The second-highest ranking a project can achieve, this certification is a demonstration of Hamilton Public Library’s commitment to sustainability.
The addition transformed the public face of the community centre and is designed to reduce 50 per cent of the facility’s carbon footprint. The high-quality building envelope, systems, and site work together to drive down energy demand, and together with a 30 KW solar system incorporated on its roof, contributes to 25 per cent of the library’s expected demand.
Stormwater captured on the areas of new roofing is directed to the planted bioswales where it travels along the contours of the property to maximize infiltration to the local aquifer. The water will fuel the growth of vegetation on-site to remediate soils or efficiently flow off-site. These stormwater management techniques help with mitigating negative environmental stresses, including the effects of stormwater surges on existing infrastructure and the poor quality of urban outflow.
The library created a marketing campaign to showcase the LEED Gold design and educate the community about sustainability. The campaign included online games, in-branch scavenger hunts, activity books, and a social media initiative to engage people of all ages in the community.
