Ādisōke [Ottawa's New Central Library] | U/C

[J.OT13]

NCC presentation and material from yesterday. Focused on exterior landscape.


https://twitter.com/NCC_CCN/status/1253353039861350402

https://ncc-website-2.s3.amazonaws.com/d...L-presentation1.pdf?mtime=20200423100907
https://ncc-website-2.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/07.0-2020-P146-LAC-OPL.pdf?mtime=20200423100904
https://ncc-website-2.s3.amazonaws.com/d...ngs-BIL_reduced.pdf?mtime=20200423100918

[kwoldtimer]

Why will it take four years to build the library?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Why will it take four years to build the library?

About a year to award the building contract and three years to build.

For comparison, Calgary's library started construction in 2013 and was completed in 2018. Worth noting that the encapsulated of the C-Train Line as part of that project, and their library is bigger.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

About a year to award the building contract and three years to build.

For comparison, Calgary's library started construction in 2013 and was completed in 2018. Worth noting that the encapsulated of the C-Train Line as part of that project, and their library is bigger.

Not to mention the pandemic that isn't ending any time in the next 1-2 years. Construction will be very slow with distancing measures. I'm sure the library will be delayed along with every single other project.

[J.OT13]

Jim Watson
@JimWatsonOttawa

The @ottawacity will be releasing a RFQ today to pre-qualify general contractors for the
@opl_bpo @LibraryArchives joint facility project. This is the first of four steps in the procurement process to build our new facility!



11:31 AM · Jun 15, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/JimWatsonOttawa/status/1272552298544275456

[J.OT13]

Ottawa launches bidding process for central library construction

OBJ, June 15, 2020

The City of Ottawa has launched the first phase of what’s expected to be a four-step procurement process for the construction of the new central library.

The $192.9-million project, which will house the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada, is expected to be completed in 2024. On Monday, the city said it was starting its request for qualification process aimed at pre-qualifying general contractors to construct the new facility at LeBreton Flats.

The next step in the procurement process will be a request for tender for early works such as shoring, excavation and site remediation, which is expected to be released in August. After that, the city will consult with the pre-qualified bidders and their partners in the third stage of the process, which is expected to occur in the fall of this year and the winter of 2021.

Finally, the city will issue a request for tender in which pre-qualified bidders will be asked to provide a firm price tag for the building. That’s expected to happen next spring.

The city and federal government formally unveiled the design for the new facility in January. Ottawa’s KWC Architects and Toronto-based Diamond-Schmitt Architects, which was also behind the recently renovated National Arts Centre, are the lead architects on the project.

The planned designs feature wave-like layers as well as accents of limestone and wood. The building will be topped with a green roof and will include other features geared towards making the facility as sustainable as possible – Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna said she’d like to see the library be a net-zero building, meaning it produces as much energy as it consumes.

The development itself will be 34 per cent larger in size than the library’s existing main branch at Laurier Avenue and Metcalfe Street. It will include amenities such as a ground-floor cafe and rooftop restaurant, a makerspace, recording studio and 60 meeting rooms – up from three at the current central branch.

Some 4,000 people in Ottawa and across Canada provided comments during public consultations that helped to shape the library's design.

https://obj.ca/article/ottawa-launches-bidding-process-central-library-construction

[rocketphish]

Site Plan Control Application: https://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__B3OVYD

[J.OT13]

Panelists review super library design, encouraging 'lantern' effect for landmark building

Jon Willing, Postmedia
August 5, 2020

Another architectural evaluation of the future super library is in the books, with the project team on Wednesday aiming to provide more details about the building’s accessibility, landscaping and functionality to a panel of design critics.

A joint meeting of the city’s urban design review panel of outside architects and the National Capital Commission’s advisory committee on planning, design and realty was called to examine the latest pre-construction concept for the landmark facility, which is a partnership of the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) and Library and Archives Canada. The meeting was held by video conference and live-streamed to the public.

The $192.9-million building at 555 Albert St. will be the headquarters and main branch of the OPL, relocating operations from the aging facility on Metcalfe Street. The part of the building used by Library and Archives Canada will have a large reading room, reference room, collection room and preservation lab. The organizations will have shared space for exhibitions and will collaborate on a genealogy centre.

Diamond Schmitt Architects and KWC Architects are the lead design firms. Architects unveiled the design of the super library in January and made an initial presentation to the city’s urban design review panel and the NCC design panel in February.

Gary McCluskie, a principal architect at Diamond Schmitt, addressed one concern brought up in the previous panel meeting about the continuing development of LeBreton Flats and how the views from the facility’s top levels will be impacted. He assured panel members that there will be a “breadth of prospects” to enjoy the vistas to LeBreton Flats, the Ottawa River and Ottawa’s downtown from the upper floors of the super library.

When it comes to the appearance of the building from the outside, McCluskie confirmed there will be no mechanical equipment installed on top of the building that would sully the eye-catching roofline. He emphasized that the glassy exterior will give the building a sense of transparency.

Landscape architect Jennifer Nagai of PFS Studio told panel members that designers are paying close attention to the accessibility of pathways entering the outdoor amphitheatre and how they will lead people into the building. The types of trees and plants that will surround the building also under consideration, taking into account their appearances in all seasons and how they’ll enhance the design of the building, Nagai said.

James Parakh, a member of the city’s urban design review panel, called it “an extraordinary building on an extraordinary site” and he encouraged the designers to take advantage of a jog in Albert Street that allows people downtown to have a clear line of sight to the building. At night, the building could look like a lantern when viewing the site from downtown, Parakh said.

David Leinster, who chairs the urban design review panel, suggested the building’s lantern effect could be like the luminous National Arts Centre on the other side of the downtown.

The panel members heard that the progress of the design has reached 30 per cent of the construction document stage.

The city has been in the market for a builder and will chose a firm during a request for proposals competition involving firms shortlisted after a request for qualifications process. The city hasn’t announced the firms that will compete for the construction contract.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021 once all the design approvals and building permits are in place. The facility is projected to open in late 2024 with a grand opening in 2025.

The city is paying for about 63 per cent of the facility’s cost with the federal government covering the rest.

https://ottawasun.com/news/local-news/su...wcm/64423038-e208-4bc6-91ed-0ea9020c7204

[passwordisnt123]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

https://ottawasun.com/news/local-news/su...wcm/64423038-e208-4bc6-91ed-0ea9020c7204

Thanks for sharing that. I hadn't seen the video in that link before. Is it new?

They talked a lot about the materials and design and it sounds like they're not going to be cheaping out so that's nice. The building looks great to my eyes. But they talk about making the building "welcoming" yet it's in the middle of basically empty, uninhabited nothingness. It's so far from everything, including Pimisi Station. I have a hard time thinking of this as "welcoming".



Is there any chance of ever developing some of that wasted adjacent space? I have a hard time wrapping my head around why we're planning on leaving empty fields right next to a major LRT station and the new "central" library.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

Thanks for sharing that. I hadn't seen the video in that link before. Is it new?

They talked a lot about the materials and design and it sounds like they're not going to be cheaping out so that's nice. The building looks great to my eyes. But they talk about making the building "welcoming" yet it's in the middle of basically empty, uninhabited nothingness. It's so far from everything, including Pimisi Station. I have a hard time thinking of this as "welcoming".

Is there any chance of ever developing some of that wasted adjacent space? I have a hard time wrapping my head around why we're planning on leaving empty fields right next to a major LRT station and the new "central" library.

That video was published back in January.

• Video Link

An RFP for the site next door (between the library and Pimisi) should be released sometime in the next year. The City and NCC have consolidated their respective lands on that site. The RFP was delayed due to Covid-19. The winning bidder will have to include 100 affordable housing units within the development. I'm hoping that the redeveloped lands will include an indoor pedestrian connection to better link the station and Library and make it easily accessible to all year round.

Here's the ultimate plan for LeBreton, with the library on the bottom-right, just outside the scope of the master plan.

[IMG][/IMG]

[passwordisnt123]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

That video was published back in January.

• Video Link

An RFP for the site next door (between the library and Pimisi) should be released sometime in the next year. The City and NCC have consolidated their respective lands on that site. The RFP was delayed due to Covid-19. The winning bidder will have to include 100 affordable housing units within the development. I'm hoping that the redeveloped lands will include an indoor pedestrian connection to better link the station and Library and make it easily accessible to all year round.

Here's the ultimate plan for LeBreton, with the library on the bottom-right, just outside the scope of the master plan.

Interesting. Somehow I missed that video back in January. Thanks.

I was referring to this plot of land I've shaded in purple.

[J.OT13]

Oh, that piece of land. That will likely always be park space to keep views to and from the library open. You could build a few townhomes, but it might not be worth the trouble for developers and the NCC.

[J.OT13]

Joint Design Review Panel from August 5:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=national+capital+commission

Architectural presentation starts at 3:15 (9:00 if you want to skip some introductory slides and go straight to the architectural and urban concept) and ends at 1:03:22. It includes new renderings and perspective views of the building and from the building, more detailed look at the floor plans and cross-sections, landscape and pedestrian circulation in and around the building. They also speak of Indigenous art and inspiration that will go in and around the building. Well worth watching it if you're interested in the project.

The library team is counting on a weather protected pathway added between Pimisi and the new facility as part of the NCC/City lands redevelopment, and possibly adding a covered area though the plaza from this development to the library itself.

[J.OT13]

Notable changes to the design based on the review panel presentation:

• Wood columns near the entrances originally to be clad in wood will now be clad in metal. This is a response to comments.
  
• Roof has been simplified, but this should not be visible from the perspective of library patrons as the eaves will maintain the curved look.
  
• The skylights on the roof that used to be arches have been squared-off (the arches looked very 80s-90s to me personally).
  
• Blank wood walls around Albert now seem to have transom windows on top (another good design change IMO).

[rakerman]

That rendering is just so misleading.
It makes it look like the library sits flat surrounded by walkable parkland.
But it doesn't.
It's on a weird tilted site at the bottom of a hill.
The core feature, if you can call it a feature, is the tangled highway intersection mess of Bronson, Commissioner, Albert and Slater directly on the south-east corner of the site (the centre left in this rotated view).
What looks in the rendering like a flat wide strip of trees to the east below the Juliana building is actually a narrow strip of trees jammed against a very steep and high escarpment wall.
What looks in the rendering like walkable trees to the south is actually two tiny strips of unwalkable trees with busy Slater running through the middle of them.



They've cropped out the fact it sits at the bottom of a hill in an empty space criss-crossed by highways.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by rakerman

That rendering is just so misleading.
It makes it look like the library sits flat surrounded by walkable parkland.
But it doesn't.
It's on a weird tilted site at the bottom of a hill.
The core feature, if you can call it a feature, is the tangled highway intersection mess of Bronson, Commissioner, Albert and Slater directly on the south-east corner of the site (the centre left in this rotated view).
What looks in the rendering like a flat wide strip of trees to the east below the Juliana building is actually a narrow strip of trees jammed against a very steep and high escarpment wall.
What looks in the rendering like walkable trees to the south is actually two tiny strips of unwalkable trees with busy Slater running through the middle of them.

.

They've cropped out the fact it sits at the bottom of a hill in an empty space criss-crossed by highways.

.

You are definitely right about the trees under the cliff, although there is a path with a few benches there now (not particularly appealing benches, mind you.)

In terms of the strip near Slater, I think that the rendering reflects the future reconfiguration of those streets.

[eltodesukane]

And too bad the library is not right next to the transit station.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

And too bad the library is not right next to the transit station.

It's 500m walk. That's a 5-7 min walk. Not ideal. But not all that bad. What matters is whether all the land around it develops, so that the walk is actually decent. Or whether those walking from station will face a decade of a windswept gravel lot for a decade.

[J.OT13]

August 13, 2020

SHORTLIST OF GENERAL CONTRACTORS ANNOUNCED FOR OTTAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY-LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA JOINT FACILITY

Three general contractors have pre-qualified for the construction of the Ottawa Public Library – Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility. The request for qualifications evaluation process was overseen by a fairness commissioner, engaged by the City of Ottawa to ensure an open and transparent process.

Submissions by the selected contractors all met minimum requirements and all three have proven track records of completing projects of similar size, scope and complexity. Each has demonstrated that they have the capacity, qualifications and experience to manage and oversee construction of the facility.

The pre-qualified general contractors are:

• EllisDon
• PCL
• Pomerleau

Furthermore, the City of Ottawa is issuing tomorrow, a request for tenders for an Early Works package. The three selected contractors will be invited to present proposals for these early works which will include shoring, excavation and site remediation. It is expected this work will commence this fall.

The City will be releasing the tender for the main project construction to the three pre-qualified general contractors in early 2021, with construction to begin next summer.

https://inspire555.ca/updates/shortlist-...rary-and-archives-canada-joint-facility/

[DarthVader_1961]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

August 13, 2020

SHORTLIST OF GENERAL CONTRACTORS ANNOUNCED FOR OTTAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY-LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA JOINT FACILITY

Three general contractors have pre-qualified for the construction of the Ottawa Public Library – Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility. The request for qualifications evaluation process was overseen by a fairness commissioner, engaged by the City of Ottawa to ensure an open and transparent process.

Submissions by the selected contractors all met minimum requirements and all three have proven track records of completing projects of similar size, scope and complexity. Each has demonstrated that they have the capacity, qualifications and experience to manage and oversee construction of the facility.

The pre-qualified general contractors are:

• EllisDon
• PCL
• Pomerleau

Furthermore, the City of Ottawa is issuing tomorrow, a request for tenders for an Early Works package. The three selected contractors will be invited to present proposals for these early works which will include shoring, excavation and site remediation. It is expected this work will commence this fall.

The City will be releasing the tender for the main project construction to the three pre-qualified general contractors in early 2021, with construction to begin next summer.

https://inspire555.ca/updates/shortlist-...rary-and-archives-canada-joint-facility/

Glad to see this is moving along quickly.