LEED Platinum-Certified Bibliothèque du Boisé in Montreal Wins RAIC Green Building Award
Bibliothèque du Boisé in Montreal, Canada, is the winner of the 2017 Green Building Award, presented by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). It is located in the city’s largest borough Saint-Laurent, and it is designed by Consortium Labonté Marcil, Cardinal Hardy, and Eric Pelletier Architects.
Courtesy of Consortium Labonté Marcil, Cardinal Hardy, and Eric Pelletier Architects – Photography: Doublespace Photography
The winning library has been acknowledged for being a worthy example of “buildings that are environmentally responsible and promote the health and wellbeing of users.” Its 6000-meter-square building exhibits a remarkably seamless integration between its interior and the surrounding landscape. It includes, in addition to the reading halls and the usual library facilities, exhibit space, museum archive, and administration offices, acting as a cultural hub for the community.
Courtesy of Consortium Labonté Marcil, Cardinal Hardy, and Eric Pelletier Architects – Photography: Doublespace Photography
The LEED Platinum-certified library employs a number of sustainable design strategies and techniques to minimize the impact on the environment. These strategies include a passive heating system which redistributes heat collected in a glass prism and maximized solar gain which ensures access of natural light to the whole library. The library is, also, mainly composed of local wood and other low-emitting material which can be recycled. The existing trees on its site have been preserved, and a hundred more have been planted, in addition to the shrubs and climbing plants on the exterior façade.
“The library offers a variety of beautifully lit and welcoming spaces throughout, maximizing daylight and views and the use of natural elements, such as wood, to create an environment that contributes to health and wellbeing,” said the RAIC jury. “Their approach to high-performance building through whole systems design and strategy has resulted in an impressive achievement,” they added. “Not only does it have a remarkable dialogue with the urban site and natural habitat, but it also does so with a striking form.”