An addition to Hamilton Public Library’s Valley Park Branch has earned LEED Gold Certification, architects mcCallumSather announced last month. 

The building has been a community hub since it opened in the 1980s, hosting hockey games, swimming lessons, volleyball matches and story times. Since then, however, the community’s needs have changed.

The 26,500-square foot library expansion features extensive upgrades within the facility to reinvent it as a sustainable, upgraded reflection of this vibrant community. 

“Library design is one of our passions, perhaps because they have such potential for social, economic, and environmental impact within our communities; pillars of what sustainability means within our work,” said Drew Hauser, Director of Design & Business Development at mcCallumSather. “One of the most exciting elements of library design is how we can use these community spaces as an educational tool demonstrating sustainable design leadership within their communities as we all strive for a Net Zero Carbon community by 2050.”

Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points for green building strategies across several categories, aspects of design that are vigorously measured and verified through design, construction, and post construction. As the second highest ranking a project can achieve, LEED Gold Certification is a significant accomplishment and proof of Hamilton Public Library’s commitment to sustainability.

“HPL’s Valley Park Branch demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, inside and out. The team worked together to bring about a community space that reflects the needs of this growing neighbourhood,” says Paul Takala, Chief Librarian/CEO at Hamilton Public Library. “This LEED Gold Certification signifies thoughtful environmental, social, technological and educational integration and really sets the stage for future library spaces.”

Thanks in large part to the expansion, which opened in 2022, Valley Park Library rose from the fifteenth to the third most-used space amongst the Hamilton Public Library Branches, drawing in 171,000 visitors. The addition transformed the public face of the Community Centre and is designed to cut the facility’s carbon footprint in half.

The building envelope, systems and site work together to drive down energy demand in the facility, and together with a 30 KW solar system incorporated on its roof contributes to 25% of the library’s expected demand.

Stormwater captured on the roof is directed to the planted bioswales where it travels along the contours of the property to maximize infiltration to the local aquifer. The water will fuel the growth of vegetation on-site to remediate soils or efficiently flow off-site. These stormwater management techniques help with mitigating negative environmental stresses including the effects of stormwater surges on existing infrastructure and the poor quality of urban outflow.

Other features of the expansion include a dedicated children’s area, zones for study and digital media use, an adaptable community room, and an enclosed courtyard with native plantings and trees.