The City of Ottawa Supply Services has released the main construction tender to the pre-qualified General Contractors for the construction of the Ottawa Public Library-Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility.
The tender is scheduled to close this summer with construction work to begin this fall.
Source: Inspire555.ca
The release of the main construction tender coincides with another project milestone, the completion of the final design of the joint facility. The designs plans were endorsed by the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) Board and approved by the National Capital Commission Public Board of Directors in April 2021. The design is the direct result of an unprecedented public co-design process that asked Ottawa residents, Indigenous communities, and Canadians from across the country to provide design input and inspiration at every stage.
Source: Inspire555.ca
This engagement process helped shape all aspects of the facility, inside and out. Public input informed the shape of the building, its entrances, the interaction and location of its spaces, the indoor look and ambience, the inclusive and sustainable features, the landscaping and public art, and the exterior materials. There were also significant design enhancements made by Diamond Schmitt Architects, in joint venture with KWC Architects, to achieve net-zero carbon.
One of the most important aspects of this process was the generosity and engagement of Indigenous peoples in Ottawa and across the country, including the Anishnābe Algonquin First Nations of Kitigan Zibi and Pikwakanagan, the Ottawa-Gatineau urban Indigenous community and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation individuals from across the country. Their direction, advice, and feedback has been instrumental in shaping the design of the new facility.
Source: Inspire555.ca
Public and Indigenous engagement for the facility will continue as the project partners move forward with the next stages of the project. gallery of the final design drawings and additional information on the project can be found at inspire555.ca.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
