The Valley-Hi North Laguna Library is the work of the people from Noll & Tam Architects; located in Sacramento, California, it enjoys great features and a wonderful contemporary design. First of all, the library has the spaces filled with natural light, the insulated concrete panels help to cool off the building making the summers bearable. There is also a natural ventilation tower.
It has a sustainable design and if follows the guidelines imposed by the (LEED) Gold certification. The highlights that the architects focused on were clear and simple. They wanted to make the library be dependent of natural light, they also wanted to increase the building’s thermal mass, they managed to insert a system that allows natural ventilation and they wanted to surpass California Energy Code Title. It is a pleasant surprise to discover civic buildings that aim for sustainable elements.
The architects managed to finish the project with the help and ideas from the library building committee, too. They had in mind different spaces for the library- spaces reserved for staff, for patrons etc. The interior spaces are arranged along a steel spine, to render the idea of an open book.
The spine offers the patrons access and views to other spaces. The other spaces are reserved for group studies*3 spaces are reserved for the group studies*, there is also a space for children and teens, a learning center and a computer lab that has everything you can possibly want: word processing, internet etc.
There are other facilities as well. A community meeting room that can house 100 people and a food court for refreshments and social gatherings. The building was positioned in such a way to capture daylight and the glazing was shielded from sunlight. The tilted roof allows photovoltaic panels, being placed in an ideal angle. The panels also follow the sustainable design guidelines, providing around 12% of the energy of the library.
[PlusMood]
