by Brianna Crandall — April 6, 2015—The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Library Association (ALA) selected six recipients to receive the 2015 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards, which were developed to encourage and recognize excellence in the architectural design of libraries. As the traditional role of libraries evolves, the designs of these community spaces have changed to reflect the needs of the surrounding residences, as represented by the recipients of this year’s awards.
Several of the 2015 awardees are LEED certified, with such eco-friendly features as abundant natural light, geothermal systems, daylight harvesting strategies, green roofs, stormwater collection chambers, locally sourced materials, and motion-activated lighting.
Features that encourage learning about sustainability include smart monitors that display real time water and energy consumption, and mechanical and structural systems that are purposefully exposed so operations and construction methods can be discussed. Other features include performance efficiency and structural adaptability for evolving community needs.
The 2015 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards recipients are:
- Cedar Rapids Public Library, Cedar Rapids, IA; OPN Architects
- Claire T. Carney Library Addition and Renovation, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA; designLAB architects; Associate Architect Austin Architects
- Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center, Little Rock, AR; Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects
- Mission Branch Library, San Antonio, TX; Muñoz and Company
- Slover Library, Norfolk, VA; Newman Architects with Tymoff + Moss
- Vancouver Community Library, Vancouver, WA; The Miller Hull Partnership
