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Interior of library with undulating ceiling

Image : Doublespace Photography

Toronto Public Library–Albert Campbell Branch

Location: Scarborough, Ontario 
Architecture Practice: LGA Architectural Partners Ltd.

Chosen by a jury of respected design experts, the 20 projects comprising the OAA’s 2024 Design Excellence Finalists represent a diverse range of building types, including sustainably designed community centres, schools and learning facilities, residences, and an indoor horticultural attraction, as well as performing arts venues in Sudbury and New York City. These Finalists serve as the shortlist for the OAA’s 10 Design Excellence Winners, which will be announced next month and honoured at the OAA Conference in Niagara Falls in May. The biennial OAA Design Excellence Awards program offers Ontario practices the opportunity to display the transformative influence of architecture, promoting broader public recognition and appreciation for the field. The following media statement has been supplied by the submitting project team:

LGA Architectural Partners’ sensitive renovation of Toronto Public Library’s Albert Campbell Branch reinstated the library as a welcoming community hub, saving the 1971 brutalist building from demolition. While TPL believed that a full replacement would be necessary, LGA’s analysis revealed that 25% of the back-of-house could be repurposed for public use–satisfying TPL’s objectives for sustainability, accessibility, and placemaking. The new design focuses on creating connections inside and out by opening the interior to universal accessibility and natural light, while a re-clad exterior and rippling wood ceilings accentuate the best features of the original design, reinventing it for today's users.

Comparison of facade before and after renovation

Photo credit: Doublespace Photography (top), LGA Architectural Partners (Bottom)

 

Interiour view of library space and image of outdoor terrace bellow

Photo credit: Doublespace Photography

 

Visitors using the library desk spaces

Photo credit: Doublespace Photography

Climate Action
The architecture profession must play a role in stabilizing the climate change crisis, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in favour of clean power. This is one of the reasons why the OAA has chosen “climate action” as a theme in its strategic plan.
As it did in 2020 and 2022, the OAA once again required Energy Usage Intensity (EUI) metrics to be included as part of the submissions process for the 2022 Design Excellence Awards program. EUI is the measurement of a building's annual energy consumption relative to its size. The lower the number, the less impact the building has on our climate. You can learn more about the OAA’s EUI Calculator online tools, free for both members and the public, by clicking here. Attached is the 2030 Ontario Target Data chart, which shows the EUI goals for the 2030 Challenge based on the building type.

TEUI of the project: 21.62 kWh/m2

This blOAAg post is part of a series exploring the OAA’s 20 Design Excellence Finalists for 2024, as selected by our jury. Click here to see other projects from this current award cycle.
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