Libraries Booklet

lIbRARIES

www.perkinswill.com

COnTEnTS 01. ABOUT PERKINS+WILL 02. COMMUNAL KNOWLEDGE 03. THE LIBRARY AND THE CITY 04. THE ACADEMIC LEARNING CENTER 05. LIBRARIES GO TO SCHOOL

Libraries COnTEnTS 03

+ Whitby Public Library and Civic Square, Whitby, Ontario

www.perkinswill.com

01

DISCIPLINES

locations

Aviation + Transit

Architecture

Atlanta

Los Angeles

Seattle

Corporate + Commercial + Civic

Interiors

Boston

Miami

Shanghai

Healthcare

Branded Environments

Charlotte

Minneapolis

Toronto

Higher Education

Planning + Strategies

Chicago

New York

Vancouver

K-12 Education

Preservation + Reuse

Dallas

Orlando

Washington, DC

Science + Technology

Urban Design

Dubai

Philadelphia

Hartford

RTP

Houston

San Diego

London

San Francisco

Sports + Recreation

+ Left: Sammamish Library King County Library System, Sammamish, Washington / Right: Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre, University of Toronto, Mississauga Campus, Mississauga, Ontario

Since 1935, Perkins+Will has collaborated with globally recognized clients to set worldwide standards for design innovation and exceptional service. We are committed to trend-setting leadership in our aviation + transit, corporate + commercial + civic, healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, science + technology and sports + recreation practices.

Sustainable, high-performance and environmentally conscious design is a cornerstone of our practice that informs every project.

It’s how we practice and how we live. Our people – some 1,500 – are enthusiasts. We have more LEED Accredited Professionals than any design firm as ranked by Building Design+Construction magazine.

Libraries about us

About Perkins+Will

AREAS OF PRACTICE

05

An international firm practicing regionally, Perkins+Will is always close to our clients. We hold a common philosophy and standard of excellence; our firm shares expertise across twenty-three offices globally. This inclusive strategy focuses us on our clients, our communities, and our vision, which is as compelling today as it was at the firm’s inception: to craft ideas + buildings that honor the broader goals of society.

www.perkinswill.com

andrew frontini

+ leadership

Design Director - Toronto Andrew.Frontini@perkinswill.com +1 (416) 217.6535

eileen jones Branded Environments Global Leader - U.S. Eileen.Jones@perkinswill.com

VANCOUVER VANCOUVER

(312) 755.4550

01

SEATTLE SEATTLE

MINNEAPOLIS MINNEAPOLIS

TORONTO TORONTO BOSTON BOSTON

CHICAGO CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO

WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON, DC DC

LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES

RTP

LONDON LONDON

DALLAS DALLAS

ATLANTA ATLANTA

SHANGHAI SHANGHAI DUBAIDUBAI

K-12 Education Global Leader - U.S. Steven.Turckes@perkinswill.com (312) 755.4570

RTP

CHARLOTTE CHARLOTTE

SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

Steve Turckes

Ken Rohlfing Associate Principal - Chicago Kenneth.Rohlfing@perkinswill.com

HOUSTON HOUSTON

ORLANDO ORLANDO MIAMIMIAMI

(312) 755.4505

Libraries leadership

HARTFORD HARTFORD NEW YORK NEW YORK PHILADELPHIA PHILADELPHIA

07

www.perkinswill.com

Library Design: Our Evolving Practice The notion of the library as a place where humanity’s collected knowledge is stored, protected and categorized is universal and spans millennia. It is only since late nineteenth century and in particular through the vision of Andrew Carnegie, that the contents of the library have been opened to the broad spectrum of society. This “democratization of knowledge” is not quite a century old and yet it forms a seemingly incontestable pillar of our society. We have seen the library transform from a protective sanctum to an open space for the nurturing of public knowledge and intelligence, but the most radical and rapid transformation of the library is upon us now.

What does the word library mean when knowledge and information are no longer tied to physical objects? When the storage and ordering of information occurs outside of physical space, what does the space of the library become? These and many related questions are the daily ponderence of library professionals and library designers.

01

At Perkins+Will, we have a broad exposure to a vast collection of ideas regarding the future of libraries. These ideas come from our clients – library professionals working in community libraries, in academic libraries at universities and colleges and in libraries within the K-12 school system. We also fuel our library design practice through independent research that sounds the technological, cultural and technical issues affecting library design today. We marry our broad experience to a progressive interdisciplinary design practice which sees the space of the library and its systems as a holistic entity. At Perkins+Will, the disciplines of Architecture, Interior Design and Branded Environments are applied simultaneously in the creation of library spaces that are at the forefront of sustainability, inspiring communities of knowledge and growth.

Libraries values 9

+ Whitby Public Library and Civic Square, Whitby, Ontario

www.perkinswill.com

02

+ Brooklin Library and Community Centre Brooklin, Ontario

COMMunITy

Communal Knowledge As children, many of us recall a sense of wonder at the seemingly boundless trove of knowledge offered by our local library.

These libraries promised “knowledge within reach for every chapter of life�.

Knowledge and entertainment can now be enjoyed at any time and in any place through the proliferation of digital media.

In order to ensure their continuing relevance, libraries have positioned themselves at the forefront of technological advancement with programs that educate and inspire patrons of all ages. Music, art, gaming, software training, and business and financial training are all found at the library. The still, lofty room of books and magazines has transformed into a collection of dynamic, technologically driven environments. Good design allows these environments to function, coexist and to transform over time.

02

Good architecture has become the calling card of library systems. While it may be true that information can be retrieved anywhere, learning in a great space, amongst your fellow citizens remains an attractive proposition for many people.

Imagine a place that feels like home from which you can discover the entire world. Despite the global aspect of our culture, we believe that architecture should be rooted in its place. Community libraries provide the opportunity to reflect a local condition through building form, materiality, and response to site and climate.

Libraries community 13

+ Brooklin Library and Community Centre, Brooklin, Ontario

www.perkinswill.com

Brooklin Library and Community Centre Brooklin, Ontario

02

A remnant forest in the historic village of Brooklin, Ontario provides the setting and inspiration for this district Library and Community

Area 13,000 SF

Center. Each of the key program areas are housed in one of three linked structures whose roof lines and simple forms recall the region’s agrarian roots. A sophisticated approach to structural articulation, detailing and materiality transforms a regional inspiration into a sharply articulated response to contemporary design issues. Porches, breezeways and glazed links provide the common space and allow the three shed volumes to frame courtyards and views into the surrounding hardwood forest. The preservation of specimen hardwoods was critical to the placement of the building footprint and the resulting micro climates are an integral part of the building’s sustainable strategy. The Library component brings new collections, lounge and study space to the growing community. The library is suffused with natural light tempered by the forest and the material qualities of wood and stone. The north end of the library looks onto a woodland reading court while its south façade has a presence on the main street taking its place among the village’s key civic structures.

Libraries community

Completion Date 2008

15

www.perkinswill.com

edmonton public library edmonton, alberta

02

Conceived as a pavilion at the front of a large multi-use complex, the Meadows branch library is didactic about its sustainable agenda

Area 15,000 SF

while framing and programming a set of new civic spaces on the site. The library roof is articulated as a folded plane that, opening like a book, reveals an intensive green roof. The roof angles to an architectural scupper which boldly describes the movement of water from the building’s roof to its landscaped areas and grey-water cisterns. Internally, the library is organized beneath the angled beams of the heavy timbre roof that create changes in scale from grand at the main entry and fire place lounge to more intimate at the children’s area and south reading garden. A series of foils operate beneath the singular gesture of the roof to define particular program areas. The staff and materials handling areas are located behind a curving timbre acoustic screen. The teen’s lounge is defined by a circular pod of shelving.

Internet stations and study tables are nestled into a series of polychrome saw-tooth bay windows. Each of these micro environments caters to a particular user and set of activities while integrating into an easily served and supervised whole.

Libraries community

Completion Date 2013

17

www.perkinswill.com

Oak Park Public Library oak Park, illinois

02

Perkins+Will Branded Environments developed a new public library for Oak

Area 104,000 SF

Park, a reinvigorated educational and civic meeting center adjacent to the

Awards American Corporate Identity Awards,Identity/Logo Design Award, 2005 Chicago Building Council, Merit Award, 2004 American Society of Interior Designers, Corporate Office over 30,000 SF Award, 2004 *In collaboration with Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Penney

city’s central park space and across from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple.

The interior design, finishes, environmental graphics, wayfinding and new identity system are based on a series of experiences to “open the door to a community at home in the world of learning.” Inspirational concepts of “discover, connect and participate” are integrated throughout the facility.

Libraries Community

Completion Date 2003

19

www.perkinswill.com

grimsby public library and art gallery grimsby, Ontario

02

The Town of Grimsby elected to build a new cultural complex on the site of the existing

Area 21,300 SF

library and art gallery while keeping both the existing library and the art gallery open during construction. The design solution sets the abstract masonry prism of a new art gallery at the street as a foil to the original Carnegie library. Together these architectural figures frame a sculpture garden and entry court which draws visitors into the long narrow site. A central lobby with meeting rooms, washrooms and a gallery shop is shared by both the gallery and the library.

*In association with Reich + Petch Architects

Libraries community

Completion Date 2004

21

www.perkinswill.com

Turner Park Branch Library hamilton, Ontario

02

Turner Park Branch Library shares a common entry and interior streetscape

Area 15,000 SF

with a YMCA complex. The library creates a unique architectural expression through materiality and the articulation of key programmatic areas. The Turner park branch is designed to serve a broad demographic with particular attention given to youth and teens for which a discreet lounge and program area have been developed. This area accommodates innovative programming such as video production, gaming and DJ 101.

Libraries community

Completion Date May 2009

23

www.perkinswill.com

03

+ Whitby Public Library and Civic Square Whitby, Ontario

CIvIC

Civic Transformation The central library occupies an important place in the collective imagination of a city or town. As a symbol of knowledge and culture, a library also forms an important center of gravity in the urban fabric. When faced with the challenge of creating a new central library, we view the library as an urban catalyst and look to its transformative potential. Today’s large urban libraries house a complex range of program elements that cater to the social, educational and cultural needs of a broad demographic.

These program elements have the potential to animate the surrounding urban context and create a vibrant public realm.

We use libraries to frame urban space and to focus the theater of urban life.

While a branch library may seek to reflect a specific community, the central library is civic in scale and captures the complexity and diversity of the city. An urban central library can offer a multitude of distinct destinations within a strong armature that orders the collection and facilitates navigation through it. The library operates as a sequence of public rooms, each at the scale of the city, where information, art, culture and technology are freely disseminated. Dynamic, highly adaptable and robust in its infrastructure, the modern library must be conceived as integral to the city and as one of its primary public spaces.

03

Libraries civic 27

+ Whitby Public Library and Civic Square Whitby, Ontario

www.perkinswill.com

whitby PUBLIC library and civic square whitby, Ontario

03

The primary design objective for this library is the creation of a dynamic

Area 56,000 SF

relationship between the interior public space and a new civic square. A three

Awards Ontario Library Association, Award of Excellence, 2007 National Post Design Exchange Honorable Mention, Commercial Architecture, 2006 ARIDO Public & Institutional Spaces, Award of Merit, 2006

storey library hall opens onto the square, which is animated by the concentration of vertical circulation, information commons, and displays, visible through the expansive glass. From the square, landscape elements bring natural light and color deep into the building. The lower wing of the building brings the municipal archives, meeting rooms and a cafĂŠ to the streetscape.

Libraries civic

Completion Date 2005

29

www.perkinswill.com

sammamish Library king county library system, sammamish, washington

02

The Sammamish library overlooks the south edge of the city’s new civic plaza

Area 20,000 SF

with large expanses of glazing and active programmatic elements. The central

Awards AIA Washington Civic Design Citation Award, 2010

reading space leads to a reading room where a fireplace provides an internal focus, balancing the views to the west. The children’s area overlooks the eastern lawn which includes a reflexology path, native plantings, and a grove of birch trees It is topped with a green roof planted with a geometric pattern of native sedums—visually tying it to the horizontal landscape planes of the site.

Libraries civic

Completion Date 2010

31

www.perkinswill.com

angus glen community centre and Library markham, Ontario

03

Area 175,000 SF Awards Ontario Public Works Association, Project of the year, 2006 Ontario Association of Architects: Good Design is Good Business Award, 2006 Canadian Wood Council: Wood WORKS! Award, Wood Design Large Institution, 2006 Markham Design Excellence Award, Building of Distinction, 2006 National Post Design Exchange: Silver Award for Architecture - Commercial Category, 2005

The Angus Glen Library forms part of a multi-use complex in Markham, Ontario.

At 35,000 sf, this district library is one of the largest in the municipality’s system and features one of the largest Asian language collections in the Greater Toronto Area. The library opens onto the internal street of the complex, with mobile display furniture and large sliding glass doors providing an inviting threshold. Immediately within the library, patrons are greeted by the primary browsing area offering the most popular items in a comfortable lounge setting.

The browsing area and study zone are located on the ground floor beneath a soaring atrium where a bold concrete structure supports saw tooth skylights framed in heavy timber. This rich materiality and structural expression are present throughout the library and tie it into the larger complex.

Libraries civic

Completion Date December 2004

33

www.perkinswill.com

orillia Market Square And Library orillia, Ontario

03

Area 42,000 SF

The design for the new Orillia Market Square and Library seeks to create a suite of urban public spaces that engage Orillia’s 19th Century Opera House and support the City’s vibrant farmer’s market. The building takes the form of a two storey, L-shape that creates coherence within the surrounding urban fabric while framing and setting off the monumental form of the Opera House. The 42,000 sq.ft. structure will combine two floors of collection and support space with community meeting rooms an information Orillia outlet and a Market Hall that will house a smaller farmer’s market in the winter months. The building is targeting LEED Gold certification.

Libraries civic

Completion Date 2011

35

www.perkinswill.com

04

+ E.J. Pratt Library, Victoria College University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

A CADEMIC

The Academic Learning Center Academic libraries form the heart of a campus – a point of universal convergence where collaborative work and study continue around the clock. These buildings are becoming highly adaptable learning environments where information is retrieved and ideas are developed through digital media. The notion of a physical “collection� is being re-thought and the prioritization of space now favors students engaged in active learning. The planning of academic libraries must accommodate and support widely varying patterns of use from the conventions of solitary, quiet study to the pedagogically driven need for active group study and project areas.

There is an increased emphasis on the quality of study space. The near constant interface with technology must be offset with architecture that supports the body. The qualities of light and sound, the presence of color and materiality and the careful consideration of scale and proportion can combine to promote the stamina and general well being that inspire learning.

04

Libraries academic 39

+ Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre, University of Toronto - Mississauga Campus, Mississauga, Ontario

www.perkinswill.com

E.J. Pratt library, victoria college university of toronto, toronto, Ontario

04

Originally designed by Gordon Adamson, the award-winning Victoria College

Area 50,000 SF

Library building was opened in 1960. The renovation project focused on

Awards Ontario Library Association Award for Best Renovation of an Academic Library, 2003

several primary objectives: replacement of all mechanical and electrical systems; reconfiguring space to accommodate a range of study, research and staff requirements; increased storage facilities for print and special collections; “smart� classroom facilities for teaching and learning, and the infrastructure to accommodate changing and evolving information technology needs.

* In association with Kohn Shnier Architects

Libraries academic

Completion Date August 2001

41

www.perkinswill.com

Hazel M c callion academic learning centre university of toronto - mississauga campus, mississauga, Ontario

04

Inspired by the intricate assembly of Japanese puzzle boxes, the architecture of the Hazel McCallion Academic

Area 98,000 SF

Learning Centre provides a metaphor for the active pursuit of knowledge in the information age. The 100,000

Awards Ontario Library Association, Award of Excellence, 2010 Ontario Association of Architects, Award of Excellence, 2008 American Library Association & IIDA, Sustainability Award, 2008 Mississauga Urban Design Awards, Award of Excellence, 2007

SF SF. library brings an innovative spatial model for collaborative study and information retrieval to the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus. With all of its bound volumes located in self serve compact shelving at the centre of each floor plate, the University’s first LEED Silver structure offers broad range of highly flexible space for digital work and study at the building perimeter. Here, abundant natural light and sweeping views of the verdant campus create an uplifting learning environment for the campus of 12,000 students. The building integrates seamlessly into the campus master plan framing a series of sustainable landscape courts, a roof garden and an entry plaza at the North end of the Campus.

Libraries academic

Completion Date 2006

43

www.perkinswill.com

05

+ Perspectives Charter School Chicago, Illinois

k-12

Libraries Go To School The libraries of elementary and secondary schools are rapidly transforming to accommodate the diverse and digital needs of the students and community members they serve. As curricula evolve and communities collaborate, the library or media center is shifting to a space where the librarian’s call of “quiet!” is replaced with “create!” This evolution informs the shape and scope of school libraries today to foster interaction within and outside of the school, to accommodate digital lives, and to satisfy the need for third spaces amongst young adults and community members.

Opting to pool resources as opposed to compete for them, many schools today are developing libraries in partnership with the city or county library system and housing them on school property. This approach is a wise investment of community dollars and a mutually beneficial strategy for capital investment; Schools gain an increase in infrastructure, technical expertise, and engagement. While planners and designers enjoy the opportunity to create spaces that must safely incorporate both students and the public. Often isolated school libraries are also finding unique ways to foster interaction within the school in response to educational programs. Academy-based curricula benefit from distributed, flexible media environments that act as satellites from a primary media center. While project based curricula often benefit from a boarder of flexible space around the library that are able to serve library or classroom needs easily.

Library spaces for young people are evolving to embrace a spirit of agility in order to serve their dynamic and digital lifestyles.

Libraries K-12

To keep abreast of the needs of the next generation of learners and creators, school libraries and community libraries are shifting to act as a “third space” for the teen to twenty crowd. Comfortable seating, sensitive furnishing, ample outlets, and even the presence of once forbidden food and drink, have many students choosing the library as a place to both work and socialize.

These shifts are important as millennials increasingly blur the lines between work and play. In addition to study rooms for writing research papers, many school libraries and community teen spaces multimedia studios for creating documentaries, producing music, and building websites.

05

47

+ St. Alcuin Montessori School, Dallas, Texas

www.perkinswill.com

Perspectives charter school Chicago, Illinois

05

The

Area 30,000 SF

“A Disciplined Life” to communicate their mission for an ideal school

Awards AIA, Distinguished Building Award, Chicago Chapter, 2005 CEFPI Exhibition of School Architecture, Honorable Mention, 2005 AASA Exhibition of School Architecture, Citation, 2006 Stein, Ray & Harris Patron of the Year, Chicago Architecture Foundation, 2005 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award, 2005 NSBA Exhibition of School Architecture, Citation, 2006 AIA, Interior Architecture Award, Chicago Chapter, 2006 AIA Illinois Mies Van Der Rohe Award, Special Recognition, 2006

founders

of

the

Perspectives

Charter

School

coined

the

motto

environment. Perkins+Will’s design of their new facility integrates the philosophy of the disciplined life with a program-specific design response resulting in an unconventional school design. The design operates in a cohesive range of scales from how and where the building is sited to the fine detail of the interior signage. All of these elements come together for the expressed purpose of advancing the school’s educational mission beyond standard expectations.

Libraries K-12

Completion Date 2004

49

www.perkinswill.com

St. Alcuin Montessori school Dallas, Texas

05

St. Alcuin Montessori School is designed for present day and future growth.

Area 35,000 SF

The design includes classrooms, administrative spaces, an upper schoool media / technology center, art and music studios, a student cooking center along with outdoor learning gardens and a design center. The middle school is situated at the back of the site becoming a backdrop to the new soccer field.

Innovative ideas and unique design elements were implemented, enabling the building to become a learning tool.

Libraries K-12

Completion Date 2009

51

www.perkinswill.com

Cedar ridge high school Round rock, Texas

05

Cedar Ridge High School expresses a progressive educational program while

Area 375,000 SF

reflecting a modern interpretation to the regional vernacular architecture.

Outdoor courtyards are the heart of the campus providing a secure, flexible space for circulation, break-out learning, and other multipurpose functions.

Each zone contains individual media centers, administration suites and teacher areas. Each academic specific media center encourages student learning, student to student, and student to teacher interaction outside of the classroom.

Libraries K-12

Completion Date July 2010

53

consistent with our firm’s commitment to the environment this piece is printed on

+ Front: Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre University of Toronto–Mississauga, Ontario / Back: Whitby Public Library and Civic Square, Whitby, Ontario Copyright © 2010 Perkins+Will, Inc.

fsc-certified paper and is 100% recyclable