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Redesign your school library | 2013 National High School Architecture Competition #196

By Rabia_Intangible | L Redesign your school library

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Design Challenge Background

Libraries are no longer being used as places to store and distribute books, nor do they serve as place for only studying. With changes in technology libraries have been forced to change their ways of operating and instead of closing their doors they are adapting by becoming People-Centric instead of being Book-Centric. They become community resources for collaborating, creating, and making.

Design Challenge Brief

The challenge is to redesign your high school library and re-think how your school’s library should, or could, function as technology advances and our notion of study and working changes accordingly. What does a library look like that is designed around a person’s knowledge needs instead of only storing and cataloging books?

You may redesign the interior of the existing library space, expand on the existing space, or design a completely new addition on to your school building. Your design should contain all the spaces and functions required for a typical school library – a variety of seating options for students (inside and out!), as well as book and media storage, space for the librarian, computer areas, audio/visual labs, and meeting spaces. You may also want to include a cafe, information kiosk, or a workshop area. The redesigned library should include ideas for both old and new ideas for a library. You should also consider sustainability issues and the environmental impact of your design.

What should I upload in this Overview step?

Write a short description of the problems you will be trying to solve in redesigning your school library.

What is the Design Process?

How do you start a project? How do you get from the design problem to the final design? Learn more about the design process here.

Overview (Program/Design Brief)
Problem Statement: Brooklyn Technical High School’s current school library appears to be out of date with its old-fashion design, discouraging the interests of the newest generation of high school students, teachers, and other visitors to the school.
Design Statement: Brooklyn Technical High School’s school library needs to get transformed into a place that not only offers a great deal of knowledge, but also allows opportunities to collaborate, think creatively, and create.
Client: Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF).
Target Consumer: Students, staff, and visitors of Brooklyn Technical High School.
Constraints:
1. The dimensions of this newly renovated library should be the same dimensions of the current school library, taking up the same amount of space and using the same location.
2. The transformed library should have a variety of different colors to inspire thinking. There should be no less than three different, bold colors.
3. The placement of the furniture should be at least 4 feet apart from each other, to allow passage, but bookcases are an exception.
Criteria:
1. The layout of the new library should be more convenient and make an individual feel inspired, open minded, creative and productive upon entrance into the library.
2. The library should be more aesthetically pleasing to encourage people to visit more often and function with environmentally friendly furniture.
3. The library should reflect a modern way of thinking and have a futuristic atmosphere. Like the newest generation of high school students, staff, and others, the designs should reflect an open and intangible mindset.

Comments

Great goals! Don't forget to include means of achieving sustainability.

By laurak, Engineer at 10:18 pm, 20 May 2013

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In the Collect Info step of the design process, you try to gather as much information as possible about your existing school library, along with the students and staff who will use it.  You can't propose new solutions until you figure out and document what the existing problems are.

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Think About

 

  • How many students need to be seated in the library during one period?
  • What types of furniture is used in the existing library? Does it need to be movable? Why or why not?

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  • Interview students, librarians, and other staff about what they think of the existing library.  What changes would they make to spaces if they had a choice?
  • Make a list of those features that you really like about how your library looks and functions.
  • Make separate list of all the ways that your current library is not so well designed (chairs may be uncomfortable or the light is poor, or there are really great outdoor reading areas).

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  • Take measurements of the overall dimensions of your existing library.
  • Take interior photos of the hallways and entrances that lead into your existing library.

Think About

  • What are the different pathways that students use to get into the library now?
  • What types of media are available in your library? How are they stored? Are books an important part of your library?

 

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  • Visit Flickr or another photo sharing site and search for other types of libraries to determine good and bad examples of how libraries accommodate user’s needs, especially teens. 
  • Post images of buildings, colors, designs, textures, or other things that inspire you in this step. Make sure you give credit to your source!

Think About

  • Does your new school library need to look like the same typical library with long stack of books?  What other study spaces around the world are inspiring and interesting?

What should I upload in this Collect Info step?

Consider uploading photos, a short video, and a site plan drawing of your existing school library. Help us understand the existing conditions and the location of this room.

How do I collect Information?

How can collecting information help me with the design problem? Learn ways to collect information that will help you with the design process here.

Rabia_Intangible's work for the Collect Information step:

Summary
To collect information, I searched the internet a lot to find a lot of green materials, useful colors, and get inspiration from other libraries around the world.
At the Mill Basin branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, I’ve interviewed a librarian, Ms. Ann. The...
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It is almost impossible to renovate in the image of student interests if a students’ opinion wasn’t...
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This is the space that I would be responsible for transforming. There isn’t much space to work with...
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http://icestoneusa.com/sustainability/our-facility Glass is a material that is both transparent...
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http://moredays.com/blog/best-5-colors-that-increase-productivity/ This site suggests that the...
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An image of Stuttgart Modern Library, a library located in Germany (obtained http://onebigphoto.com...
2 comments
This is an image of Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. It was built in...
2 comments

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In the Brainstorm Ideas step of the design process, you put some early ideas down on paper that show what you've found in the Collect Info step.  You also might take more photos to show specific new ideas you have. 

The simple diagrams you make here will help you understand how the existing library location and design compare with your new ideas.

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  • Walk around the exterior of your school building and take photos of possible locations for your new library with outdoor seating.
  • Draw a floorplan of your existing library and include it in this step.
  • You may also want to include a site plan of your school, showing where the library fits into the school.

Think About

  • Will this library replace your school's existing library or become an addition to a different part of the building? Will it be built in an empty lot or space?  Will it be underground or built on the roof?  You decide.

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  • Use Google Maps to view and print out an aerial photo of your school. 

Think About

  • Spend some time looking at the aerial photo of your school.  What types of other buildings surround your school?  Homes, businesses, parks, parking lots, or an empty field?  How will these other buildings impact the design of your new library?
  • What types of streets surround your school? Are they busy or quiet?     

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  • On a piece of tracing paper placed over the aerial photo of your school, sketch a diagram showing a large arc around the building to show the path of the sun throughout the day.  This drawing is called a site analysis diagram.  (Remember, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.)
  • Draw other lines on this diagram to indicate the best views around the building.

Think About

  • Based on the site analysis diagram you've sketched, where is the sun located throughout the school day? 
  • How can the indoor and outdoor seating areas of your new library be positioned to take advantage of the sunlight for good lighting?

What should I upload in this Brainstorm Ideas step?

Consider uploading hand sketches or a quick study model of all your first ideas. You can scan these drawings or take photos of your model.

How do I brainstorm ideas?

Brainstorming ideas is your first step towards making an informed decision to the design solution. Learn more about that here.

Rabia_Intangible's work for the Brainstorm Ideas step:

Summary
To brainstorm ideas, I started to ask myself how it was possible to achieve a library that looked like the future. While it's impossible to predict the future, it is possible to just imagine.
This is a rough drawing of a bookshelf that is against a wall. About 15 feet tall (at most), it...
2 comments
This table is meant to suit six people. In a world of tomorrow, society and social relationships...
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In a world of tomorrow, the availability of technology becomes crucial in a person's daily...
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The role of a librarian is a very critical one and librarians are often the administrators who run...
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When the librarians aren't available to help the students, they can always refer to the...
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The idea of "new" and "different" often is used to describe the modern world...
1 comment

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In the Develop Solutions step, your rough ideas come together with drawings and models that can show others your solutions for a new library.

Important! Since DiscoverDesign is about investigating the design process, the other people viewing your project - other students around the country, your teacher, and the mentors - want to see how your ideas have changed over time. This means that while you're working on your digital model, you’ll want to be sure to keep re-saving it with a new file name every few days as you work through the steps.

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  • Draw a sketch or use software such as Google SketchUp, AutoCAD, or Revit to illustrate your ideas.  You can upload photos (JPG files) from your SketchUp model, video fly throughs (FLV files) of your SketchUp model, or drawings (DWF files) from AutoCAD.

 

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  • Consider including the following types of spaces and furnishings:
    - indoor seating area (tables, seating)
    - outdoor seating area (tables, seating)
    - book storage (shelves)
    - media storage
    - audio / visual labs
    - computers
    - meeting spaces
    - librarian desk (place to check out or return materials)
    - small office for library staff
    - cafe
    - bins for recycyling

What should I upload in this Develop Solutions step?

Consider uploading images (JPG, GIF) of your rough digital model. It's ok if your model is still a work in progress. Show an axonometric or perspective view with people, which will help others understand the scale of your library.

Rabia_Intangible's work for the Develop Solutions step:

Summary
To develop solutions, it was time to make the brainstorming sketches a reality. These sketches would later be merged together in one final design to make up the entire library.
The careful use of color and placement brought to life the "layered" effect that was...
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While the triangular base adds a unique touch, I thought it would be kind of cool to add another...
1 comment
A plain version of the librarian's desk.
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It doesn't quite look like the one drawn in the previous step of the design process because...
1 comment
The colorful shelves of the media storage allow people to easily organize the storage area. Instead...
1 comment
The six-person table looks pretty bright. With the small splash of color, there shouldn't be...
1 comment

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The final step of the design process is to create more finished drawings that illustrate your ideas to others. Remember, your explanation text, and the types of drawings, images, and models you share need to tell the whole story of your project to someone who may or may not have ever visited your school.

 

 

Continue to collect feedback from your peers, teachers and the online community to help you improve on your final design. Be sure to review and add constructive comments on the work of other students who are solving the same design problem. If your ideas change, be sure to explain your thinking and let others know about the new work you have posted to your account.

You might want to share floor plans, elevations, renderings of your digital model, photos of a physical model, or a video animation of your model.

But you aren't done yet! Be sure to comment on other projects in the competition to foster, encourage, and build an online design community of learners in DiscoverDesign.  CAF will also recognize students that provide both encouragement and constructive criticism on students' work throughout the run of the competition.

What should I upload in this Final Design step?

Consider uploading final hand or digital renderings, images of your finished physical model, or your finished digital model (as a DWF file).

How do I know I have my final design?

Consider all of the design considerations you made in your last step. Use feedback from students, teachers, and mentors to finalize your design. Learn more about finishing your design here.

Rabia_Intangible's work for the Final Design step:

Summary
After finishing creating all the little parts of the library, this is how it looked afterwards.
A simple image indicating the goal of how the library should appear to be. The bubbles are not to...
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A digital drawing of the general layout of the library along with general descriptions of the...
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A view of the library from such an angle. It's a plain space free to be customized by the...
1 comment
This is another view of the library, the other side of the previous image. The columns here are...
2 comments
Here's what the typical seating of my library would appear to be. A six-person table where...
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Here's a close-up view of the way the bookshelves look next to the tables. The bookshelves are...
2 comments