The Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre

Vision

Conceptual Vision

Puzzle Box Metaphor

Highlights

Floor Descriptions

Conceptual Vision

People Space over Collections Space
The Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre (HMALC) will shift from an emphasis on collections space to an emphasis on people space. It will play a unique role in humanizing technology. The HMALC will provide a vibrant, welcoming, comfortable, safe and environmentally friendly space where staff are committed to the provision of personalized, expert and proactive service. It will be a teaching and learning centre to assist students in the effective and appropriate use of information that will help them succeed while at university, in their career and as life long learners in a knowledge-based society. The HMALC will be a place to which people are drawn; where they will want to spend countless hours. A place that supports their academic pursuits. A place that supports our sense of community within UTM, and with the broader community.

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Puzzle Box Metaphor

The Concept "Opening the Puzzle Box" - an architectural metaphor for accessing knowledge.

The Narrative "At the outset your library is an intricately crafted box of weathered stone which conceals a second box - a finely crafted cabinet of wood and softly radiating coloured glass. This inner cabinet contains a great treasure - knowledge. Within the radiating cabinet, deep in the heart of the library, thousands of books move in tall metal cases, gliding silently on steel tracks. The box lies in a meadow at the northern edge of the campus, the purity of its rectilinear form disturbed only by deep joints in its cladding. Imagine that we begin to play with this puzzle. If we lift it, it rises above the ground, hovering above an inner sleeve of glass. At the same time a great slab of stone remains behind and a huge monitor window hints at the glowing treasure within. In lifting the box lid we have left a piece of the roof behind and now the sun streams in to a southern terrace. These are but hints and only fuel our desire to get inside. Pull on the right hand side and a large piece of the box slides over. This parting of the box opens a long vista, which carries our eye to the centre of the campus. A gate has opened. Within the gateway the pulling open has taken some floor plates with it and left others behind. The result is a zigzag chasm which draws our eye up to the left. There, suspended in space, touched only by the slender bridges which penetrate its lustrous shell is the inner cabinet ..."

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Highlights

The Library design is a metaphor for a puzzlebox. The puzzlebox is opened to enter the library and gain access to the jewel in the centre - knowledge: books, journals and electronic resources.

Building size: 10,075 square meters or 108,447 square feet.

‘People space’ over ‘collections space’.

Collections housed on high use compact shelving.

Over 85% more study space located to take advantage of external environment.

Smart’, safe and accessible study space, both individual and group.

Ubiquitous computing, wired and wireless.

Fully accessible.

Adaptive Computing Centre.

Learning Commons - over 160 desktop computers

Two smart classrooms

Academic Skills Centre

Technology Centre: GIS & Data and instructional technology

Library Café

Location:
North of new CCIT Building on Parking Lot 3. Adjacent to ring road for vehicular drop off point.

Landscape plans:

North garden and meadow-like setting with some shrubs –use of native plants like dogwood and sumac, grasses and also some lawn for lounging

Sunken south garden with terraced seating, shrubs and grasses

All low maintenance

Outside building material:

Granite base

Lots of glass to take advantage of the outside environment

Investigating Prodema, a wood-laminate panel with a Bakelite core (wood impregnated with plastic)- currently using this technology in Northern Europe with out any problems

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Floor Descriptions

Main Floor (2nd Level)

Atrium: Entrance accessible through “Link” from north and south (CCIT Building)

Library Café and outside terrace - along “Link”

Elevator and stair access to upper and lower floors

Circulation and Reserves Services

Learning Commons: gateway to resources

Copy/Print Centre

AccessAbility Adaptive Technology Room

Reference Services

Reference Collection

Group study rooms

Study tables and lounge chair seating

Staff work areas

Lower Floor (1 st Level)

Study space along North and South Gardens

Group study rooms

Two Research and Instruction Rooms (smart classrooms)

Microform Collection

Serials Reading Room: current journal and newspaper collection

Serials (Journal) Collection

Third Floor

Main circulating collection

Group study tables and window seating - west wing

Technology Centre: GIS and In structional Technology

Map Collection

Academic Skills Centre

Quiet study area both individual and group

Novelties - recreational reading area with fireplace

Staff work areas

Fourth Floor

Main circulating collection

Group study rooms

Quiet study area both individual and group

Archives

Roof Garden - accessible from interior

* Public washrooms located on each floor.

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	Vision Conceptual Vision Puzzle Box Metaphor Highlights Floor Descriptions Conceptual Vision People Space over Collections Space The Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre (HMALC) will shift from an emphasis on collections space to an emphasis on people space. It will play a unique role in humanizing technology. The HMALC will provide a vibrant, welcoming, comfortable, safe and environmentally friendly space where staff are committed to the provision of personalized, expert and proactive service. It will be a teaching and learning centre to assist students in the effective and appropriate use of information that will help them succeed while at university, in their career and as life long learners in a knowledge-based society. The HMALC will be a place to which people are drawn; where they will want to spend countless hours. A place that supports their academic pursuits. A place that supports our sense of community within UTM, and with the broader community. back to top Puzzle Box Metaphor The Concept "Opening the Puzzle Box" - an architectural metaphor for accessing knowledge. The Narrative "At the outset your library is an intricately crafted box of weathered stone which conceals a second box - a finely crafted cabinet of wood and softly radiating coloured glass. This inner cabinet contains a great treasure - knowledge. Within the radiating cabinet, deep in the heart of the library, thousands of books move in tall metal cases, gliding silently on steel tracks. The box lies in a meadow at the northern edge of the campus, the purity of its rectilinear form disturbed only by deep joints in its cladding. Imagine that we begin to play with this puzzle. If we lift it, it rises above the ground, hovering above an inner sleeve of glass. At the same time a great slab of stone remains behind and a huge monitor window hints at the glowing treasure within. In lifting the box lid we have left a piece of the roof behind and now the sun streams in to a southern terrace. These are but hints and only fuel our desire to get inside. Pull on the right hand side and a large piece of the box slides over. This parting of the box opens a long vista, which carries our eye to the centre of the campus. A gate has opened. Within the gateway the pulling open has taken some floor plates with it and left others behind. The result is a zigzag chasm which draws our eye up to the left. There, suspended in space, touched only by the slender bridges which penetrate its lustrous shell is the inner cabinet ..." back to top Highlights The Library design is a metaphor for a puzzlebox. The puzzlebox is opened to enter the library and gain access to the jewel in the centre - knowledge: books, journals and electronic resources. Building size: 10,075 square meters or 108,447 square feet. ‘People space’ over ‘collections space’. Collections housed on high use compact shelving. Over 85% more study space located to take advantage of external environment. Smart’, safe and accessible study space, both individual and group. Ubiquitous computing, wired and wireless. Fully accessible. Adaptive Computing Centre. Learning Commons - over 160 desktop computers Two smart classrooms Academic Skills Centre Technology Centre: GIS & Data and instructional technology Library Café Location: North of new CCIT Building on Parking Lot 3. Adjacent to ring road for vehicular drop off point. Landscape plans: North garden and meadow-like setting with some shrubs –use of native plants like dogwood and sumac, grasses and also some lawn for lounging Sunken south garden with terraced seating, shrubs and grasses All low maintenance Outside building material: Granite base Lots of glass to take advantage of the outside environment Investigating Prodema, a wood-laminate panel with a Bakelite core (wood impregnated with plastic)- currently using this technology in Northern Europe with out any problems back to top Floor Descriptions Main Floor (2nd Level) Atrium: Entrance accessible through “Link” from north and south (CCIT Building) Library Café and outside terrace - along “Link” Elevator and stair access to upper and lower floors Circulation and Reserves Services Learning Commons: gateway to resources Copy/Print Centre AccessAbility Adaptive Technology Room Reference Services Reference Collection Group study rooms Study tables and lounge chair seating Staff work areas Lower Floor (1 st Level) Study space along North and South Gardens Group study rooms Two Research and Instruction Rooms (smart classrooms) Microform Collection Serials Reading Room: current journal and newspaper collection Serials (Journal) Collection Third Floor Main circulating collection Group study tables and window seating - west wing Technology Centre: GIS and In structional Technology Map Collection Academic Skills Centre Quiet study area both individual and group Novelties - recreational reading area with fireplace Staff work areas Fourth Floor Main circulating collection Group study rooms Quiet study area both individual and group Archives Roof Garden - accessible from interior * Public washrooms located on each floor. back to top