Hamilton library’s addition earns LEED Gold

Photo by Adrian Ozimek, courtesy mcCallumSather.

Hamilton Public Library’s (HPL’s) Valley Park Branch addition has earned the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, in recognition of its sustainable qualities.

Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points for green building strategies and aspects of design that are measured and verified through design, construction and post-construction phases. The library addition, which was completed and opened last year, was designed to reduce the community facility’s carbon footprint by 50%.

The building envelope, systems and site work together to reduce the facility’s energy demand. Meanwhile, a 30-kW rooftop solar power system meets some 25% of the demand.

“One of the most exciting elements of library design is how we can use community spaces as an educational tool, demonstrating sustainable design leadership within communities, as we all strive for a net-zero carbon community by 2050,” says Drew Hauser, director of design and business development for mcCallumSather, the architecture and engineering firm behind the project.

Further, stormwater captured on roof is directed to planted bioswales, where it travels along contours of the property to maximize infiltration to the local aquifer, supporting the growth of on-site vegetation to remediate soils and ensure efficient flow off-site.

A marketing program shares the qualities of LEED Gold design and educates the public about how sustainability was integrated into the project. The program has included online games, in-branch scavenger hunts, activity books and a social media campaign, to engage all ages within the community.