Jasper Place Branch Library by HCMA and Dub Architects is a response to a client’s brief that sought to create an open and memorable flexible building, which responds to the changing place of libraries in our modern society. The brief required a sustainable building that could fulfil present and future needs while embracing all demographics and possible future reorganisations.
© Gerry Kopelow
The client’s goal was mainly to provide a new social heart in an old neighbourhood. Current changes in book publishing have led to the prominence of e-books and other media; as a result the traditional collections of libraries have reduced drastically. This has led to the library taking on a new vocation as a social magnet for interaction along side knowledge sharing.
© Gerry Kopelow
In this regard the response of the designers was to have a new building larger than the former but with a limited collection. This permitted them to have enough space to maximize social potential and interaction for the present and future reorganisations. Architecturally, the architects opted for a flexible column-free social space covered by an undulating roof form.
© Gerry Kopelow
The space includes a continuous raised floor that provides flexibility. The traditional service spaces are located beneath a raised portion of this social space. The stairs form a continuous circulation loop at each end of the upper level. A terrace at the south side of the upper level provides a public space. The design was a shortlisted project for the World Building of the Year 2013 and hopes to achieve LEED Gold Certification.
Project info:
Architects: HCMA Architects, Dub Architects
Country: Canada
Area: 1400 m²
Year: 2012
Photographs: Gerry Kopelow
Manufacturers: Schöck, Alucobond
Hassan Yakubu is an editor at Arch2O with a deep academic and professional background in architecture, planning, and urban infrastructure. Currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Cornell University, his editorial focus spans climate urbanism, sustainability transitions, and the intersection of infrastructure and STS. Hassan brings a sharp critical lens shaped by fieldwork in Accra and policy research across Africa. With prior experience leading pedagogical initiatives and contributing to architectural practices in Rabat and Accra, his writing brings clarity, academic depth, and a global perspective to contemporary urban issues and design thinking.