The Eva Circe-Côté Library, a project that recently won a 2024 Canadian Architect Award of Merit, is a testament to thoughtful design and community engagement.
Located in the heart of Pointe-Saint-Charles, Montreal, this library not only preserves the historical significance of Hibernia Park and its old fire hall but also introduces modern, sustainable architectural practices.
The project, led by Lapointe Magne & Associés and L’ŒUF Architectes, exemplifies how architecture can enhance community cohesion and promote sustainable living.
Understanding the Community and Preserving Heritage
The Eva Circe-Côté Library project stands out for its deep understanding of the community’s needs and its commitment to preserving the character of the neighborhood.
Pointe-Saint-Charles is a historically working-class area, and Hibernia Park, along with its old fire hall, holds significant symbolic and physical importance.
Fifty years ago, the community successfully fought to save the fire hall from being demolished for a boulevard development, transforming it into a municipal library.
Architectural Design and Community Engagement
The new addition to the library will nearly triple its size, thanks to extensive public outreach and programming sessions conducted by the City of Montreal.
Interestingly, the competition for the design excluded direct ties between designers and the community.
To maintain the activist spirit, architects employed a unique approach by creating citizen-avatars and role-playing their opinions, which significantly refined the design.
Innovative Architectural Solutions
The design of the Eva Circe-Côté Library is marked by several innovative solutions aimed at preserving Hibernia Park and enhancing the user experience.
The program initially called for a two-storey addition, but to safeguard the park, the team proposed a compact three-storey structure.
This design not only reinforces the alignment of the fire hall but also elevates a portion of the addition to create a sheltered outdoor space connected to an interior meeting area.
Fluid and Structured Design Elements
The ground floor of the library features fluid organic forms that open to the park, creating a seamless connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
In contrast, the upper levels are more structured and asymmetrical, providing a striking foil to the formality of the stone façade of the existing fire hall building.
This juxtaposition of fluid and structured elements adds to the building’s charm and inviting nature.
Sustainability at the Core
Sustainability is a key focus of the Eva Circe-Côté Library project.
The design prioritizes the use of simple systems and locally sourced materials.
For instance, the library employs two-storey trusses that use less steel, a ribbed slab with reduced concrete, and an exposed mass timber deck and joists.
Additionally, bricks removed from the existing building will be reused as paving under benches and bike racks, and stone extracted for geothermal wells will be used as sub-grade for the park’s hard surfaces.
Promoting Active Transportation and Urban Agriculture
The design encourages active transportation and urban agriculture, both of which are popular in the neighborhood.
The outdoor agora includes abundant bike racks, public access to bike repair tools, and compressed air.
The roof terrace and park feature planting areas, while the library itself hosts a seed library and gardening classes.
The designers aimed to create a library that promotes physical activity, healthy eating, and community sharing.
Environmental Impact and Energy Efficiency
The Eva Circe-Côté Library is designed to have a minimal environmental impact.
The project’s energy use intensity (EUI) is 97.22 kWh/m²/year, thermal energy demand intensity (TEDI) is 26.94 kWh/m²/year, and greenhouse gas emissions intensity (GHGI) is 2.33 kg CO2e/m². The water use intensity (WUI) is 0.081 m³/m²/year.
These figures highlight the project’s commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.
Community and Social Impact
The library’s design aims to foster social cohesion and reduce the neighborhood’s carbon footprint.
By encouraging active transportation and urban agriculture, the project hopes to create a small but significant change in the transportation and consumption habits of its users.
This change could increase social cohesion and reduce the carbon footprint more effectively than a net-zero building could achieve in this context.
Conclusion
The Eva Circe-Côté Library is a shining example of how thoughtful architectural design can enhance community life while promoting sustainability.
By preserving the historical significance of Hibernia Park and the old fire hall, and introducing modern, sustainable practices, the project serves as a model for future community-focused architectural endeavors.
The collaboration between Lapointe Magne & Associés and L’ŒUF Architectes has resulted in a design that not only meets the needs of the community but also sets a new standard for sustainable architecture.
For more information on the Eva Circe-Côté Library project, you can visit the Canadian Architect website.