Cameron Library Building Performance Study

Cameron Library on the University of Alberta’s North Campus was originally constructed in 1962 and has since undergone several renovations to adapt to new library uses and replace aging infrastructure. The cladding of the Cameron Library currently has three distinctive sections. The most notable portion of the envelope consists of vertical brick piers with grey aluminium panels and glazing between them. This portion is, in fact, a relatively recent change to the building that was implemented in 1993 to replace the failing 1960s envelope. The remainder of the envelope – the south face of the building and the north addition that was added in 1969 – are now showing their age and require replacement.

The need for this extensive replacement has opened an opportunity for the University of Alberta to not only address deferred maintenance with respect to the envelope, but to optimize the energy and environmental performance of the whole library. Working with building performance researchers in the Faculty of Engineering Nasseri School of Building Science and Engineering, Facilities and Operations intends to investigate and address two areas of concern: the ultimate building performance from an energy standpoint and the comfort of all those using the building. The partnership with the Nasseri School will enable a ‘living laboratory’ approach to certain aspects of the building design and will serve to demonstrate the success of such design principles in a northern climate.