The Maple Acre Advisory Committee and M/2 Group Inc. hosted a meeting last week to collect public feedback surrounding the proposed design for the Maple Acre Library addition and refurbishment.
Residents were presented with two potential designs. They were asked to fill out a form detailing what type of programming they would like to see at the new library, how frequently they plan to use the facility, and which design they preferred.
“I prefer Option ‘A’,” noted one resident in an online forum set up to discuss the issue. “It looks open and inviting! I love that there will be lots of natural light. Blending old with new.”
“I think it’s sort of split,” said architect Robert Eland when asked which way the public was leaning. “A lot of people who like option ‘A’ like that it’s open and transparent and a lot of light comes in, while many of the people who like option ‘B’ prefer it because it’s more connected to the older part of the library.”
However, many of those filling out the provided forms noted that the question of preference seemed misleading, as it did not provide an option for those who would prefer an entirely different design. As has been the case since their release, a number of residents argued that the designs do not reflect the character of the town.
“I do not think either A or B exterior designs match the architecture of the village and need to be redone,” noted a resident online.
12-year-old Katharyn Hulley, who tries to get to the library as often as she can, expressed a similar sentiment when asked which design she preferred.
“I like plan ‘B’ because I thought it looked better against the older building but I really think that it should be more historic, and I think that they should have added some stuff from the older building to the new side. But I do like the inside,” she said.
When asked about those criticisms, Eland pointed out the financial constraints surrounding the project: “I think with a larger budget we probably would have went for a brick building, but the reality is that the budget is low, so we have to make a building happen for what we’re getting .”
Eland further explained that the new designs reflect the old building through the materials and layout. “The connection is more in the materiality and the scale, and trying to have this sort of more active area in the modern portion of the building with the more quiet reading study area in the historic building,” he said. “Also the interior layout picks up on the historical patterns of older houses which have a parlour in the front, the hall, and in the other side they have an office.”
The MAAC collected more than 100 forms over the course of the evening, which will be reviewed at the next committee meeting. The Town also set up a website to gather input from those who were unable to attend Wednesday’s gathering. Residents can voice their opinion by logging onto the Maple Acre Library discussion at www.placespeak.com or by contacting their Councillor.
