The guiding concept of the library’s design is to provide a central hub of activity and engagement for the neighborhood where all residents feel welcome, comfortable, and inspired to pursue both individual and collective life-enhancing interests and activities.  To that end, the architecture of the building is simultaneously grounded in place through its partial immersion into the existing slope of the site while also retaining as much transparency as possible to eliminate perceptual borders that may inhibit community engagement.  

The combination of mass timber and large areas of glazing blend the border between inside and outside and take advantage of existing site elements including a border of mature London Plane trees, existing grade changes, and a well-used existing foot path on the western side.  A sedum roof helps to minimize site impact and to replace the lawn lost to the footprint of the building.

The interior space is arranged into two main sections—the community oriented side and the library side.  By offering dedicated space for making and creating on the community side, the notion of the library as a place of solitary learning through reading is expanded to include creative and educational activities that are more communal in nature.  The maker space is a place where residents of all ages can gather and interact while the library side maintains the more individualized activities of traditional libraries.