The expansion is a 15,000 sq. ft combination of renovation and addition to the existing recreational facility. JMA provided all site planning, design in collaboration with its joint venture partner, and coordination of all building systems.

The design has balanced the City of Waterloo’s goals for project cost with its aspirations for a high-performance building and leading edge architectural expression. It has successfully coordinated the relation of the new branch to the existing 300,000 sq. ft. RIM Park facility, with selected integration and stand-alone systems to support the relationship between the Waterloo Public Library and City-operated portions of the facility. The Library was the recipient of the Ontario Library Association's 2022 New Library Building Award. 

This project has expanded JMA’s knowledge of leading edge mechanical systems and high-performance enclosure, to address the sustainable building challenges faced by municipalities as they provide leadership for the quality of our built environment. John is now conversant with design parameters and requirements for variable refrigerant flow (VRF) and heat pump terminal units, as well as the separation of ventilation and heating/ cooling delivery to reduce fan requirements and tailor ventilation to occupancy with direct outdoor air in combination with a Solarwall trombe wall system. JMA has also coordinated the approach to the IT/datacom structured cabling system, working with PCC Integrate to design a shared backbone that is fully able to adapt to future changes in the library’s use of connectivity for its building and patrons.