St. Paul University

Ottawa, Ontario

St. Paul University

The origin of Saint-Paul University dates back to September 26, 1848, when “The College of Bytown” was founded by Bishop Joseph-Eugène Guigues. It is located on Main Street, by the Rideau River The University is one of Ottawa’s notable, early modernist buildings. Construction of the University Library commenced in 1937. It is nationally recognized for its outstanding collection of rare books on philosophy and religious history.

Our firm was originally retained to prepare a master plan for the campus, to design a 6,875 square-metre addition to the main University building. Incorporated in the new addition were academic offices, classrooms, an auditorium, and a large expansion to the library and archival storage areas. The design also created an open courtyard within the interior perimeter walls of the campus. Materials and forms, similar to those used in the original building, were used so as to maintain the continuity of the existing campus atmosphere.

A single-storey, pedestrian, ground link that connects the existing University building and the Seminary building was subsequently completed. Formerly a quiet residence separated from the teaching facilities on campus, the Seminary building was renovated to house a new specialty bookstore on the main floor. Alterations to the existing parking lot, and the addition of a new entrance, created barrier-free access to the new bookstore.

Our firm conducted an analysis of the Saint-Paul University Library to address the problems of book security. A plan that included a new security gate and modification of the existing service desk was prepared. The plan was designed to primarily address the issues of security and circulation, and to avoid major changes to the existing facilities.