Sustainable Library Design - Ingleside Branch Library in San Fransisco

sustainable library design landscape photo

Located at the corner of Ocean Avenue lot, the design consists of a main reading room, children’s reading room, community space, support staff room and an outdoor garden. Following the urban grid, the scheme allows an L-shaped main reading room and public space for the volume and determine the center pages. This exterior has two main architectural elements: an egg-shaped chamber and high canopy roof.

Inside, the rooms are designed to fuse historical interpretation of the library as a “temple of knowledge”. In the main reading room, floor to ceiling books line the walls; normal circulation to fill the lower shelves , while the shelf over seven feet, filled with old books and artifacts donated by community members. Sloping ceiling space is covered with giant skylights persuade sunlight deep into the room. Facing page, mahogany-clad carrels offer enough, intimate space for reading and relaxing. Bench built into the edge of the glass creates a simple and elegant relationship between the courtyard and interior space.

Most importantly, this new branch library facilitate meeting space and improve access to resources important to the environment, while playing an important role in the revitalization of Ocean Avenue. Strong architecture design, full of light, and highlights sustainable virtues and aspirations of this community: assessing the accessibility of knowledge and education for everyone.

Sustainable Features:

High roof canopy
Orientation and high position are designed and intended to house the future of photovoltaic panels.

Courtyard
Building pages pelvis, protect from street noise and prevailing winds. Also, the original landscape is used for community education and irrigation requirements reduced.

Efficient artificial lighting
The main reading room flooded with natural light which is mainly from three large south facing light monitors.

Heating system
Hydronic baseboard heater shining allows for the elimination of ductwork. The quality of heat is also more uniform and comfortable for visitors.

Operable glazing for ventilation
Glazing operation is located low, while the automatic louvers located high in the volume of skylights to facilitate ventilation stack.

Low VOC & sustainable finishes.
Every effort has been made to ensure the highest air quality interior and responsible use of the finished material.