RARE BOOKS LIBRARY
RARE
BOOKS
CHAMPAIGN, IL
LIBRARY
The South Quad at the University of Illinois provides a grand opportunity to bring value to the campus. The ample existing green space of the south quad is frequented by students throughout the year. It is a public space used for recreational activity and unlike much of the University, it still remains quite open and undeveloped. An element placed on the south quad, must preserve and respect this existing green space as much as possible. The design of the Rare Books Library focuses on this idea as one of its driving principles. The rows of trees, which screen the existing facades to the east and west of the site provide an opportunity to guise the building as it embraces a low-impact design. This design also helps to fully integrate the flow of pedestrian traffic from potential users by funneling it into the building via the ramp. As the design of the Rare Books Library takes on the role of being a low-impact building, much of the building is forced underground. One of the most critical elements in a Library is the lack of direct sunlight; however, light is a welcome element in any building, just as long as the harmful features of sunlight have been filtered out. Using this idea, differeent qualities of light are introduced underground and within the differeent program spaces, using the quality of light introduced to difeine them. Each major program element within the building experiences a different form of light, through various means of filtering and out. Using this idea, differet qualities of light are introduced undergound and within the building experiences a different form of light, through various means of filtering and reflecting, and thus creates an ever changing space for the user.
As the design of this proposed rare books library took the form of a low-impact building on the south quad, creating an energy efficient building was not much of a difficult task. Most of the building sits below grade and therefore heat gain and energy loss is only critical to the elements that sit above grade. These elements include an entry pavilion and a roof membrane. Designing the membrane that is to encase this entry pavilion took the form of a double skin shell used to aide in keeping gained solar energy within the building and help reduce the effect on the environment from the release of greenhouse gas emissions.
Accessible Roof Modified Truss System Vertical Louver-Fins
Handicapped Accessible Ramp Anodized Aluminum Mullions Auditorium Translucent Glazing Lower Level Multi-Purpose Room
PROJ2 - ANNUAL COST BREAKDOWN Reference Case
Low-Energy Case
0.5
0.403
0.4
0.3 0.284
0.282
$ / ft²
0.267
0.2
0.140 0.129
0.1
0.092 0.087
0.050
0.045
0.021 0.013
0.021
0.010
0.0 Int lights
Ext lights
Hot water
Other
Heating
Cooling
Fan