Parks Canada’s New Collection Storage Facility: Design Features

The Government of Canada has announced the design of Parks Canada’s new purpose-built collection storage facility. The 8,200 m² facility, located in Gatineau, Quebec, will house over 25 million archaeological and historical objects under Parks Canada’s care, to ensure the long-term preservation and conservation of the collection for the benefit of future generations.

Parks Canada’s collection will be safeguarded through optimal environmental and storage conditions, such as:

·  Class A climate control with rigorous temperature and humidity set points.

·  Double wall construction around the collection storage area for additional insulation, to maintain required temperature and humidity, and to protect the collection from external threats, such as pests.

·  Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems that are on emergency generators to ensure consistent climate control in the event of a power outage.

·  A storage system that maximizes space and provides flexible storage capacity to facilitate access and retrieval, and to account for changes in the collection over time.

Access to the collection for all Canadians facilitated through:

·  The collection being properly managed, stored and easily retrievable.

·  Access to the collection, as a whole, in one location.

·  Collaborative workspaces to access and view objects and related documentation.

·  Dedicated reception, meeting, and ceremonial spaces, including special ventilation for ceremonies such as smudging, to accommodate visitors, events, and special gatherings.

·  Dedicated packaging workshop, loading dock, and quarantine area to safely ship and receive objects.

The facility’s environmental footprint will be minimized through green building practices such as:

·  Adopting sustainable and energy-efficient green building standards, such as employing the use of recyclable materials, conserving water use, and workspaces with daylight.

·  Achieving a net zero carbon footprint by solely using renewable energy (hydroelectricity) to power its operations.

·  Adopting energy-efficient practices with the goal of reducing energy use to 30% less than the target stipulated in the National Energy code for buildings (NECB), resulting in significant energy cost savings.

·  The use of native species in exterior landscaping and dry ponds to retain excess water from storms.

Parks Canada team members will benefit from a healthy and collaborative workspace through features such as:

·  Office spaces with abundant daylight and superior indoor air quality.

·  Flexible and collaborative work areas.

·  Gender inclusive washroom facilities for staff, guests, and visitors.

The design was developed by Moriyama and Teshima Architects (Ottawa, Toronto) and NFOE Architects (Montreal), as a joint-architectural venture.

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