A new 13,883 square-foot branch library is located in the heart of a vibrant urban neighborhood in Los Angeles. The library exterior features special areas for children, teens and adults, a multipurpose meeting room, a storytell¬ing area and underground parking. The architecture pays homage to the “Modernist” tradition of the Sil¬ver Lake area through its transparent relationship between interior and exterior spaces, sweeping hori¬zontal lines, and use of clerestory windows to admit light and provide views to adjacent hills and trees. The building is designed to achieve U. S. Green Building Council Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification rating and will contain building integrated photovoltaic panels at the skylight, glass wall panels and frameless glazing system walls.
The corner plaza acts as a public gathering area and outdoor reading room for the library and surrounding community. This outdoor room incorporates succulent planting, decorative concrete paving, glass gravel gardens and metal sculptures to create an inspiring, yet com¬fortable place to read or enjoy the view of the hills beyond. The Silver Lake Branch exterior was designed to meet LEED standards as an environmentally sustainable design with minimal im¬pact on the environment including drought tolerant landscaping, controlled outdoor lighting, appropriate hardscape materials and an efficient drip irrigation system.
