Canada, Edmonton, The Edmonton Public Library—“Edmonton Public Library”

The Stanley A. Milner Library is the flagship central branch of the Edmonton Public Library (EPL). It is located in the downtown core of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In December 2016, EPL embarked on the biggest capital project in our organization’s history, revitalizing the existing library into a cutting-edge, collaborative and beautiful space for all Edmontonians to enjoy. A central part of this project, was to create a more sustainable building that could achieve LEED certification. We focused on diverting waste from our landfills during demolition by recycling and reusing as much of the existing materials as possible. We installed new energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems to help reduce overall utility consumption. Utility consumption makes up the majority of greenhouse gases within the library, and we needed to target large reductions in our usage within our revitalized building. When selecting materials for the building, we procured materials within 800 km of the site when possible, and ensured they were low-emitting. To promote sustainable transportation, bike racks, car charging stations and better access to the light rail transit system were added. We also ensured our floorplan was designed in a way that is open, welcoming and accessible. EPL’s mission is “We Share” and as part of our commitment to our mission statement, we have developed tours for customers that showcase and highlight our sustainability efforts in our new building as well to help educate Edmontonians on green programs, such as the 3-stream waste program launching in our city in 2021. We believe this project is a model example of renovations that balance innovation, service and sustainability in its design and construction.

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