最近建成的诺威尔公共图书馆位于一个大的、树木茂盛的湿地上，远离该镇的商业和市民中心。与城市和郊区的同类建筑不同，该建筑缺乏附近建筑的背景，但该地的自然美景为适当的建筑反应提供了充足的灵感。由于公共图书馆正在从信息中心转变为文化中心，这座建筑被设计成一个可访问的、平易近人的、受欢迎的社区生活、参与、享受和充实的中心。
The recently completed Norwell Public Library is situated on a large, heavily wooded, wetland property, remote from the town’s commercial and civic centers. Unlike its urban and suburban counterparts which respond to their respective fabric, this building lacks the context of nearby buildings, but the natural beauty of the site provides ample inspiration for an appropriate architectural response. As public libraries are transforming from centers of information into centers of culture, this building was designed to be an accessible, approachable, and welcoming center of community life, engagement, enjoyment, and enrichment.
这座单层建筑的三个侧翼–成人区、儿童区和社区区–围绕着一个中央庭院花园而设计，以最大限度地增加自然光和视野，并通过整体的开放性来方便读者寻路和工作人员监督。从亲密的庭院和高度适中的大厅到宽敞的阅览室，其规模的变化是向外看的，创造了一种有意延迟享受周围广阔森林的景观。
The single-story building’s three wings – adult, children, and community – organized around a central courtyard garden were designed to maximize natural light and views and to facilitate patron wayfinding and staff supervision by a general openness. The change in scale from the intimate courtyard and modest height lobby to the generous reading rooms, gesturing outwards to the site, creates an intentionally delayed enjoyment of views to the vast surrounding woods.
设计时考虑到了灵活性，建筑的一翼可以在下班后供社区使用，而图书馆的其他部分则是安全的。应急发电机提供了部分电力，使图书馆在停电期间可以作为社区的制冷/取暖中心。由胶合木梁、柱子和木质屋顶装饰组成的裸露的大型木材结构，将图书馆与它的森林环境联系起来，并为内部带来一种温暖的感觉。
Designed with flexibility in mind, one wing of the building is accessible for after-hours community use while the rest of the library is secured. An emergency generator provides partial power allowing the library to serve as a cooling/warming center for the community during outages. The exposed mass timber structure, comprised of glulam beams and columns and timber roof decking, connects the library to its wooded setting and brings a sense of warmth to the interior.
外部材料是地区性和快速可再生材料的组合，主要是佛蒙特州的石板瓦和雪松覆层。石板被选为面向森林的立面的主要墙面覆层，因为它的耐久性和防潮性，而且它的绿色与自然环境相得益彰。图书馆宽大的窗户提供了充足的日光，与户外的联系也很周到，包括两个阅读门廊，让读者体验和享受户外环境。
The exterior material palette is a combination of regional and rapidly renewable materials, primarily Vermont slate shingles and cedar cladding. Slate was chosen as the primary wall cladding on elevations facing the woods for its durability and moisture resistance, and its green color complements the natural setting. The library‘s expansive windows provide ample daylight, and thoughtful connections to the outdoors include two reading porches that allow patrons to experience and enjoy the outdoor setting.
鉴于敏感的湿地位置，雨水管理和湿地保护/增强是设计的主要考虑因素。在与当地保护委员会的合作中，我们做出了巨大的努力来平衡新的干扰和恢复的湿地。大型停车场的生物蓄水池（全部采用本地耐旱植物）和建筑的中央花园从向内倾斜的屋顶收集雨水，以过滤径流并减缓其最终释放到周围的湿地。
Given the sensitive wetland location, stormwater management and wetland protection/enhancement were major design considerations. Great efforts were made in collaboration with the local Conservation Commission to balance new disturbance against restored wetland. Large parking lot bio-retention swales (all with native drought-tolerant plants) and the building’s central garden collecting rainwater from the inward sloping roofs serve to filter runoff and slow its eventual release into the surrounding wetlands.
其他可持续发展的特点包括用于自动调光的日光传感器，将建筑的内部照明负荷减少了22%。高效、全电动、热回收、可变制冷剂流量（VRF）的暖通空调系统，加上严密的建筑热围护结构，使能源使用量比基准线减少了35%，低流量的水管装置使室内用水量减少28%。该图书馆预计将获得LEED银质认证。
Other sustainable features include daylight sensors for automatic dimming of lighting, reducing the building’s interior lighting load by 22%. A high efficiency, all-electric, heat recovery, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) HVAC system coupled with a tight building thermal envelope achieves a 35% reduction in energy use over the baseline, and low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce indoor water use by 28%. The library is anticipating LEED Silver certification.
Architects: Oudens Ello Architecture
Area: 21000 ft²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Chuck Choi Architectural Photography
Manufacturers: Tarkett, Vermont Slate Company, Armstrong, Mosa, Pella Windows, South County Post and Beam
Structural Engineer: LeMessurier
Civil Engineer: Nitsch Engineering
MEP Engineer: WSP USA
Landscape Architect: G2 Collaborative
Interior Design: Oudens Ello Architecture
Sustainability Consultant: The Green Engineer
Principal In Charge:Matthew Oudens
Consulting Principal:Conrad Ello
Project Architect / Interior Designer:Chris Genter
Project Manager:Dominik Wit, Phil Chang, Jamaica Reese-Julien
Lighting Designer:Horton Lees Brogden
Specifications Consultant:Kalin Associates
Cost Estimator:A.M. Fogarty & Associates
Building Envelope Consultant:Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
City:Norwell
Country:United States