St. Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre

Environmental considerations and OPG's commitment to sustainability efforts in all its operations were the basis of the projects design intent to achieve LEED Silver accreditation rating. The intent is to provide high energy efficiency involving indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development, construction process, water usage and savings. As a result, the building will represent and function as an educational platform that is informative both in its materiality, permeability and accessibility. The structure and materials in the building are simple, efficient and will stress local resources. Wood is used sparingly to emphasize its structural and visual qualities and integrated with reinforced concrete and masonry in an innovative way and sustainable. The sitting strategy is particularly important. The building will be situated on the bank of the historical St. Lawrence River system, surrounded by a recently re-forested area of trees in direct view to the R.H. Saunders Generating Station, which is one of Ontario's most important producers of hydroelectric power. The topography of the existing site is emulated by the design of the curvilinear floor layout, organized along a system of presentation materials and active exhibits. The building slowly emerges from the ground and rises to its highest point at the end of the facility formally at the River Room a public space with an exterior terrace with a dramatic view overlooking the dam, the R.H. Saunders generation station and the St. Lawrence River. The building's orientation faces south east following the path of the sun's direction with the main entrance facing east. The design for the building follows the natural sloping terrain of the river site which is a former man-made construction site from the 1950's power dam construction. The building is designed from the inside out, with the intent to intensify the experience of travelling through the facility. The entrance welcomes the visitor through a large vestibule with glazing that unifies the space and acts as an intermediary, weaving together building and landscape, interior and exterior allowing natural light to be drawn deep into the interior spaces. Furthermore, the spine of the building is demarked by a grand corridor with clerestory windows that run alongside the south wall followed by decorative wood laminate ceiling that canopy along the corridor to create an aesthetic and directional rhythmic sequence to travel through the building. The floors of the building are polished concrete slab, stepped by increments that follow the flow of the curvilinear floor plan and grid system and achieve accessibility by ramps within that correspond with the changes in elevations. The large windows on the west side of the theatre and river rooms will be shaded by a deep architectural roof overhang as well interior screens to darken the auditorium space. The historical development of the St. Lawrence Seaway and R.H. Saunders power project is a remarkable story which is conveyed within the individual exhibits of the facility. The exhibit design team consulted extensively with surrounding community organizations and aboriginal peoples that were greatly were affected by the original project development. The building is designed to present exhibits and other artifacts that reflect these stories and link the visitor to other community resources. The building will be heated and cooled by a geothermal energy system. A rainwater harvesting system will be used to reduce potable water demand. Efficient fixtures will reduce the generation of wastewater which will be treated through an on-site septic leach bed system that irrigates the naturalized/reforested surrounding trees and fields. Management of energy usage with efficient HVAC equipment along with integrated indoor environmental quality is a basic whole building design approach.
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