LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL BRANCH
TAKING THE LESSONS LEARNED AT THE SOUTHWEST LOUISVILLE REGIONAL LIBRARY, THE COLLABORATIVE TEAM OF JRA, MSR, AND MKSK PURSUED EVEN GREATER DAYLIGHTING, SYSTEMS EFFICIENCY, AND LAYOUT ADAPTABILITY. THIS FACILITY IS BUILT WITHIN THE LAST REMNANTS OF A ONCE VAST URBAN FOREST. ALL PROJECT DESIGN DECISIONS WERE MADE TO CELEBRATE AND PROTECT THE CHARACTER AND QUANTITY OF TREES IN THE EXISTING FOREST.
OVER ONE THIRD OF THE SITE WAS LEFT COMPLETELY UNTOUCHED, ALLOWING VISITORS TO HAVE AN INTIMATE VIEW INTO THE UNDISTURBED FOREST. A BOSQUE OF EXISTING MATURE TREES WAS LEFT IN THE MIDST OF THE PARKING AREA TO SHADE THE PAVEMENT AND BUILDING, AS WELL AS CREATE A UNIQUE PUBLIC GATHERING SPACE DAPPLED WITH SUNLIGHT FILTERING THROUGH THE OLD GROWTH TREE CANOPY. SPECIMEN TREES LOST DURING CONSTRUCTION WERE MILLED INTO LUMBER THAT IS FEATURED THROUGHOUT THE NEW BUILDING, WHILE SITE UTILITIES WERE CAREFULLY ROUTED THROUGH EXISTING CLEARINGS TO AVOID DAMAGING DELICATE ROOTS.
MATERIAL SELECTIONS LITERALLY REFLECT THE BUILDING’S SURROUNDINGS, SO THAT THE LIBRARY APPEARS TO DISSOLVE INTO THE SURROUNDING FOREST. REFINEMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL CONCEPT REDUCED MAINTENANCE ACCESS NEEDS, WHILE ALLOWING NATURAL WARM AIR STRATIFICATION TO AID DISTRIBUTION. THE BUILDING EXCEEDS THE AIA 2030 CHALLENGE WITH SYSTEMS THAT ARE 70% BETTER THAN A TYPICAL PUBLIC LIBRARY.
OVER ONE THIRD OF THE SITE WAS LEFT COMPLETELY UNTOUCHED, ALLOWING VISITORS TO HAVE AN INTIMATE VIEW INTO THE UNDISTURBED FOREST. A BOSQUE OF EXISTING MATURE TREES WAS LEFT IN THE MIDST OF THE PARKING AREA TO SHADE THE PAVEMENT AND BUILDING, AS WELL AS CREATE A UNIQUE PUBLIC GATHERING SPACE DAPPLED WITH SUNLIGHT FILTERING THROUGH THE OLD GROWTH TREE CANOPY. SPECIMEN TREES LOST DURING CONSTRUCTION WERE MILLED INTO LUMBER THAT IS FEATURED THROUGHOUT THE NEW BUILDING, WHILE SITE UTILITIES WERE CAREFULLY ROUTED THROUGH EXISTING CLEARINGS TO AVOID DAMAGING DELICATE ROOTS.
MATERIAL SELECTIONS LITERALLY REFLECT THE BUILDING’S SURROUNDINGS, SO THAT THE LIBRARY APPEARS TO DISSOLVE INTO THE SURROUNDING FOREST. REFINEMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL CONCEPT REDUCED MAINTENANCE ACCESS NEEDS, WHILE ALLOWING NATURAL WARM AIR STRATIFICATION TO AID DISTRIBUTION. THE BUILDING EXCEEDS THE AIA 2030 CHALLENGE WITH SYSTEMS THAT ARE 70% BETTER THAN A TYPICAL PUBLIC LIBRARY.