Designing Libraries students get a virtual tour of a "green" library

On February 21, 2007, Professor Bruce R. Kingma visited the brand new Clifton Park- Halfmoon Public Library in Clifton Park, NY.  Kingma was joined by library architect Bill Connor, of Woodward Connor Gillies & Seleman (http://www.wcgsarchitects.com ), and renowned librarian and architectural consultant Nolan Lushington of Lushington Associates (http://lushingtonassociates.com).

Connor and Lushington highlighted several of the innovative design features which lend beauty, function, and sustainability to the new 55,000 square foot library. It is a “green building” built with both users and the environment in mind, with features designed to reduce energy use while creating a comfortable work-space for patrons and staff.

“Green” features include flooring made from bio-based fibers and recycled materials, counter tops made from recycled metal and resins, structural steel forged from scrap metal, and a window wall on the north side of the building which takes advantage natural light without adding excess heat.  In addition, regionally-sourced masonry was used to reduce the energy expended during material transportation. The library aims to become a certified “green” facility through the U.S. Green building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program.

The visit was video-taped for presentation in Kingma’s course, WISE Libraries: Designing the Public Library of the Future.  The course is offered in collaboration with the Americans for Libraries Council (ALC). Students in the course are currently working in teams to design the ideal public library of the year 2030. The presentation pairs a first-hand look at an exemplary model of the latest best practices in library design with commentary from experts in the field to offer a unique learning experience for distance students.

For more information about the Clifton Park – Halfmoon Public Library visit http://www.cphlibrary.org/