North Vancouver City Library
Diamond and Schmitt Architects / CEI Architecture
OVERVIEW
Centrally located in a visible and accessible site, the North Vancouver City Library is a landmark building servicing the city’s vibrant community. It serves as a community meeting place, a compliment to the adjacent City Hall and the focal point for the surrounding business district. The street space formerly used as angle parking for City Hall visitors has been redeployed as the main civic plaza for the City offering a wireless café terrace, market promenade and outdoor reading rooms. Both the building and plaza are designed to take advantage of the spectacular views of the Lions Gate Bridge, Burrard Inlet and the North Shore Mountains.
In addition to traditional roles of book lending and quiet study space, the new library supports a business / career centre and reading / computer literacy programs. A range of community learning spaces provide flexibility for program alternatives and enhanced public services in a distinctly informal environment.
Designed to LEED gold standards, the library is energy efficient utilizing a high performance building envelope, operable windows, and a combination of natural ventilation, radiant heating, geo-exchange cooling and solar energy. The first sustainable district energy plant in Central Lonsdale, located beneath the plaza, provides energy to the library. Additionally, the large array of rooftop solar panels, which follow the south slope of the roof monitor, provide heat for domestic hot water to the neighbouring residential buildings.
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Other Sustainability Features |
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