OLA BUILDING AWARD 2012LIBRARY ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGN TRANSFORMATION AWARD

PROJECT: THORNHILL C0MMUNITY CENTRE LIBRARY

Submitted by Markham Public Library

April 29, 2012

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Table of Contents

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SLIDE

4 Section: Plans & Drawings 15 Interior View Circulation Desk Before

5 Site Plan 16 Interior View Circulation Desk After

6 Ground Floor Plan 17 Interior View Information Desk Before

7 Second Floor Plan 18 Interior View Information Desk After

8 Elevation – Section 1 19 Typical User Area Before

9 Elevation – Sections 2 and 3 20 Typical User Area After

10 Furniture Plan – Ground Floor 21 Lighting Public Space #1

11 Furniture Plan – Second Floor 22 Lighting Public Space #2

12 Section: Photographs 23 Lighting Interior Night View

13 Interior View from Entrance Before

24 Interior View Workroom Before

14 Interior View from Entrance After

25 Interior View Workroom After

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Table of Contents (cont.)

SLIDE

SLIDE

26 The Children’s Forest 33 New Program Rooms Before & After

27 Families Gather in the Forest 34 More Space for Civic Events

28 Entrance to Forest Before & After

35 Exterior View from Northwest

29 Learning is fun in the Forest 36 Exterior View from Southwest

30 Picture Books Before & After 37 Exterior Entrance

31 New Study Space 38 FAQs

32 More Accessible Collections

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Thornhill Community Centre Library

Plans and Drawings

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Site Plan

6

Ground Floor Plan

7

Second Floor Plan

8

Elevation – Section 1

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Elevations – Sections 2 and 3

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Furniture Plan – Ground Floor

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Furniture Plan – Second Floor

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Thornhill Community Centre Library

Photographs

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Interior view of library from entrance area - BEFORE

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Interior view of library from entrance area - AFTER

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Interior view showing a major public services position: Circulation Desk BEFORE

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Interior view showing a major public services position: Circulation Desk AFTER

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Interior view showing a major public services position: Information Desk BEFORE

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Interior view showing a major public services position: Information / Welcome Desk AFTER

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Interior view showing a typical user area - BEFORE

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Interior view showing a typical user area - AFTER

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Lighting - public space #1 – Public Computers

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Lighting - public space #2 – Teen Area

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Lighting - interior view at night

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Interior view: a major staff function in a nonpublic area - Workroom BEFORE

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Interior view: a major staff function in a nonpublic area - Workroom AFTER

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The Children’s Forest

The revitalized Children’s Area features an enchanting mural created by local artist Pat Wheeler, and funded by a generous legacy from the estate of Leonard Wilson Black. The artwork was inspired by the local eco-history of the adjacent Don Valley watershed, designed to instill an appreciation of nature and wildlife from an early age.

Themed programs in the “Forest” include a Woodland Scavenger Hunt, Owl Craft, and lots of animal stories.

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Families gather in the Forest

There’s even an outhouse – the children’s washroom!

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Entrance to the Children’s Forest – BEFORE and AFTER

Partition walls were demolished to open up and brighten this lower level space.

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Learning is fun in the forest

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Picture Books BEFORE and AFTER

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New Study Space

Four group study rooms were created through the partitioning of existing space.A new large and bright Study Hall was created on the upper level of the previous theatre space.

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More Accessible Collections

Collections are now more accessible through merchandising, power walls and C3, Markham’s award-winning customer-friendly classification system

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New Space – Program Rooms BEFORE and AFTER

New program rooms were created through the demolition of raked theatre-style seating and the insertion of a new floor (the ceiling in this view) dividing a double-height space into two levels.

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More space for civic and cultural events

Mobile stacks and furniture on wheels makes it easy to create space for civic and cultural events.

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Exterior View – from northwest

1988 construction The exterior was not significantly changed (apart from a new

window and emergency exit staircase for the new Study Hall).

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Exterior View – from southwest

1988 construction – not changed by renovation project.

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Exterior Entrance

1974 construction – not changed by renovation project.

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FAQs: Thornhill Community Library Renovation & Expansion

Completed 2011 Architect: WK Lim Architect inc. Contractor: Charterhouse Projects Inc. Corporate Project Managers: SMA-

METTKO Ltd. Millwork: Shaw Woodworks Inc. Size (post-renovation): 26,053 sq. ft.