OPL-LAC facility aims for net-zero carbon

Renderings courtesy LAC.

The Ottawa Public Library (OPL) and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will make significant enhancements to their joint facility to achieve net-zero carbon performance.

“Not only will this building showcase our collective history and heritage, but it will also point the way to a more sustainable future, where clean growth is the rule,” says Steven Guilbeault, federal minister of Canadian heritage.

Prior to these changes, the design for the building in downtown Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats district already complied with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard, which addresses ecological land and water use, energy efficiency and sustainable materials.

Now, $34.5 million in additional federal funding will also allow for:

• building envelope and insulation upgrades.
• triple-glazed windows.
• rooftop and façade solar panels.
• an indoor ‘green wall.’
• additional sustainable materials.

The building will feature a ‘green wall.’

The major infrastructure project is scheduled to begin construction this year, be completed in 2024 and officially open to the public in 2025.

“During the public engagement process, we heard loud and clear that sustainability is key and the joint facility should set the bar for other public libraries and institutions, as well as for the broader development of Lebreton Flats,” says Matthew Luloff, city councillor and chair of OPL’s board. “This is something all of us can be very proud of.”

This is the second major sustainable infrastructure project for LAC; it is building a new net-zero carbon preservation facility in Gatineau, Que., which is set to open next year.