LIBRARY SERVES READERS AND RIDERS

The new Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales de Québec, in Montréal’s Latin Quarter, houses two major collections: a large national reference library and an extensive lending library. But the five-story glazed structure serves more than books. A pedestrian promenade behind the front facade links directly with the metro, creating a 24-hour public thoroughfare that ties the library into the fabric of the local community. Next week, writer and designer Terri Whitehead will tell us more about this new building by Patkau Architects with Menkes Shooner Dagenais Letourneux. (photo by Bernard Fougères/ BAnQ)

VIRTUAL CODE CHECKING

An important advance in software for the building industry has been the development of an open, freely available, nonproprietary data model specification, known collectively as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFCs). One company that's been taking advantage of the resulting interoperability is the Finnish Solibri, Inc. Their software enables architects who create building information models to automate model checking and analysis. Next week, professor Elizabeth Bollinger will explain how this is being applied to building code checking.