The Carbondale Library - DHM Design

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THE CARBONDALE LIBRARY Carbondale, Colorado

Libraries are inherently civic spaces and it was our intention to embody that spirit from conceptual design to project completion.

PROJECT SITE Originally located on Fourth Street and Main Street, the Carbondale Library opened its doors in 1963 with a selection of five hundred books collected by the community in a book drive. Fifty years later, the Town of Carbondale had outgrown its humble beginnings and the Library District determined that the existing site and building could not be renovated to meet current and future needs. The Library District worked with the School District and the Town to secure a new location for the library, just a few blocks away on Third Street and Sopris Avenue. An abandoned lot (with a neglected tennis court), the site offered an opportunity for redevelopment within the downtown core. The site is adjacent to an important street corridor that connects Main Street with the non-profit Third Street Center (TSC) and shares grounds with the Bridges High School, providing a logical place for additional civic activities.

INTEGRATING COMMUNITY & DESIGN As a civic project important to Carbondale residents, there was public interest and input throughout the design process. The design team participated in an energetic and well-attended series of community meetings where the public helped to shape the building and site design, articulating their values, priorities, and vision for this new community resource. Design review committees, composed of a variety of community members, judged several design competitions and weighed in on various design elements created by local artists.

PROJECT TEAM DHM Design Willis Pember Architects Humphries Poli Architects Land + Shelter RA Nelson

AWARDS ASLA Colorado 2014 Honor Award



CONTEXTUAL DESIGN A critical aspect of the design was to remain consistent with the surrounding residential character of the neighborhood. The design team worked to fit the building program to the site, holding the front entry of the building 25’ from the property line and creating a “front porch” element that is consistent with other residential structures on that cross-axis. This entry responds to a sense of arrival by all modes of transportation. Street-side parallel and diagonal parking allows for quick dropoffs, and a broad sidewalk and promenade welcomes pedestrians and cyclists. Knowing that our community is full of bike enthusiasts, bike parking was designed to include a covered storage area that can accommodate traditional bikes, xtracycles, trailers, and the like. Locallycrafted bike racks, in the shape of giant paper clips provide further bike parking and are a cheeky nod to the mission of the library.

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As an art town, it was important for Carbondale’s local talent to be reflected throughout the site design. Large spruce trees, removed for construction of the library building, were stripped and milled by a local log craftsman, Ackerman Log & Timber, to create benches that now line the entry.



Custom metal dog ties were created and donated by local metal smith, John Hoffman.

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Paper Clip Bike Rack , created by local metalsmith: John Hoffman


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A design competition for the support pillars that line the front entry promenade was won by local glass artist, Shannon Muse, who wrapped the beams in colorful glass mosaics.



CORRIDOR ACTIVATION & CONNECTION Just down the road, the Third Street Center (a nonprofit community center) is the site of numerous events and performances, but unfortunately, struggles with the challenge of being disconnected from Main Street. Mindful of this context and situation, we made it a priority to enhance the usability of the Third Street side of the library and contribute to the connectivity of the two cultural hubs. An outdoor chalkboard inspires impromptu drawings from passers-by and a beautiful marble table (donated by a local quarry, Colorado Yule Marble Company) provides a comfortable place to relax. The design incorporates green screens with native hops and honeysuckle to create living walls along this aspect of the building, resulting in an inviting and open courtyard. The pavement in the courtyard was constructed with concrete remnants (repurposed from the tennis courts that existed at the site previously) in a crusher fines bed. The design succeeds in creating a fun and energized gathering area for people travelling the corridor.





CONTEXTUAL DESIGN The patio along the south aspect of the library is dominated by views of Mt. Sopris, the 13,000 ft peak that defines Carbondale’s sense of place. Three hundred days of sunshine and wireless internet ensure that the colorful adirondack chairs along the southfacing back patio are enjoyed most of the year. Ornamental grass plantings surround the back patio and create a sense of privacy and definition of the library grounds, but in a friendlier manner than a fence. The open grounds allow for movement between the patio, the lawn of the adjacent alternative high school, and pedestrian traffic from the TSC to Main Street.








The Library is one of several projects influenced by the Town of Carbondale’s remarkable commitment to repurposing underutilized buildings and space. This strategy supports a healthy community evolution and maintains the integrity of the Town by keeping vital civic functions in the core of downtown. The Carbondale Library is a successful project because of the spirit of collaboration that carried it through from inception to completion. The planning, quality design, and engaging public outreach carried out by the design team was essential for communicating the overall vision of the project and gaining the support of the community. We were able to translate the community’s ideas and influences into a lovable civic space that bridges the indoor/outdoor experience and supports its community in both artistic and literal ways.


DHM DESIGN

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE URBAN DESIGN + LAND PLANNING ECOLOGICAL PLANNING

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE URBAN DESIGN + LAND PLANNING ECOLOGICAL PLANNING


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