BCA is working
with the City of Yorkville to help them to enlarge and modernize
their library. Yorkville is experiencing a period of rapid growth
and its existing library is increasingly unable to provide a level
of service appropriate for the community. At the same time, area
residents are accustomed to the small scale and personal service
offered by the current library.
One of our prime design goals is to maintain the personal scale
of the existing library in the new, larger facility. To accomplish
this, we will divide the façade of the new library into
elements that recall the human scale of the existing library.
Material selections will echo those found on the existing library
as well as those often used for traditional, regional buildings.
The new library
will take the form of an addition to the existing library. This
will allow the existing library to remain open during nearly the
entire construction period. The addition will have an area of
approximately 37,000 square feet in contrast to the 5,300 square
foot area of the existing library. When the addition is complete,
it will open as the new library while the existing building is
renovated for use as meeting rooms that will serve public functions
as well as library programs.
Efficient
mechanical systems and intelligent use of day lighting will ensure
that the new library is environmentally responsible as well as
beautiful. Geothermal heating and cooling as well as an “intelligent”
interior lighting system that automatically responds to the amount
of available day lighting are just two of the “green”
design elements that are being planned for this project. |
