The goal of the expansion is to expand the original library building, and make it both larger and greener. How does it achieve this? Read on.

A third of the new building is a renovation to the existing library and an impressive new expansion. It stretches a spacious 5,360 square metres and is planned around a central atrium. The renovation and two-storey entrance are now the focal point of the interior quad, letting in natural light and ventilation for those students clocking in the hours at the library. The second floor of the glazed lobby provides the students with a bright and quiet setting for private reading; meanwhile, the three-storey south wing is filled with learning labs for interactive teaching and group study areas.

Those students who do more daydreaming than reading are in luck: more than 90% of all occupied spaces have extensive views to the outdoors, to provide students with a direct connection to the environment. Special shielded light fixtures installed throughout the building reduce direct artificial lighting. The atrium acts as a "light well," basking the space in natural light from the roof, and most of the light in the library is sourced from the north side of the building, where the light is softer and cooler. The south side of the building allows in natural light for heating, but shading techniques ensure minimal direct lighting from the south. Bunting Coady has also ensured zero light encroachment to adjacent properties and the surrounding atmosphere by installing overhangs on all sides of the building, which also restrict solar heat gain inside.

To go along with Kwantlen’s sustainable campus development plan, Bunting Coady’s designs aim to provide high levels of thermal comfort, indoor air quality and energy efficiency. The project incorporates several sustainable design initiatives, including the use of geothermal energy and radiant floor heating and cooling. A natural wind-driven ventilation strategy uses trickle vents to improve air quality and air systems are protected by gateway grills designed to capture dirt and particles. A wind tower with an aerodynamically shaped roof also keeps the fresh air flowing. There is a solar hot water system and a heat reclamation system to minimize consumption costs.

LEED will surely be impressed with the materials used in the renovation and construction processes. CFCs, Halons and HCFCs were not used; meanwhile, 42% of the materials were produced in BC and more than 95% of the virgin wood used is Forestry Stewardship Council-certified.

Bunting Coady’s overall objective is to increase the efficiency of the existing building’s system and design a best-of-the-best energy efficient system for the expansion, so that the energy consumption of the new combined building would be equivalent to the existing building’s use before the expansion. It sounds like a difficult feat. But if all expansions had the same goal, our future spaces could be bigger and greener. Bunting Coady has definitely raised the bar for other projects involving a renovation, and if they can do it, others can too.