2013 national competition project | Library Redesign #002

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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.

Kinnelon is a small affluent suburban town. The town prides itself on its good public schools especially after most recently earning the 5th best school in the state this past year. In the building itself, students are focused to achieve academic, athletic, and artistic success. Everyone comes into school ready to work, take extra classes, stay late, work during lunch, and actively communicate with teachers. Unfortunately, our newly designed library still does not welcome in our over achieving students. The library does not offer early or late hours for students and faculty to put in the extra time and does not allow students to come in during lunch. Even when in the space, people are working on top of each other competing for room to work while their voices try to overpower one another. I embark on the task of making my school library more available and productive for the student body and faculty. I want the library to be more accessible for the students who want to meet with groups, hang out after or before school, and eat lunch and get coffee in without burdening the school with hiring extra faculty.
In addition to accomplishing these needs of the students, I also need to keep in mind the needs of the environment. My second goal is to make this building more sustainable and hopefully it will inspire the town and school to go in the same direction after seeing its success,

Comments

You`re taking many things into account, and making it very personalized for the faculty and the students. I can`t wait to see the finished project!

Right up front in the overview you might add that Kinnelon is in New Jersey. You've done a good job presenting your issues. I am not sure that design will accomplish everything you want to do ("The library does not offer early or late hours for students and faculty to put in the extra time and does not allow students to come in during lunch.")

Design panel juror

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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?

sarahelstien's work for the Collect Information step:

Summary
I collected my information multiple ways. I have my own thoughts that I apply.
This is the lab that is directly to the right when you walk into the library. This is an area where...
This is out of the 2 teacher offices. This area is located the left of the entrance to the library...
As seen, this is another popular spot for students to go mostly because this area offers comfort in...
This is the layout of the library. You can see that when you initially walk in the class room is to...
This is a view of the bookcases. This area is beyond the gathering areas and very separate from the...
This is one of the more popular group seating areas in the library. It is toward the back to the...
This is a view that was taken toward the back of the library looking toward the opening. As is seen...

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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?

sarahelstien's work for the Brainstorm Ideas step:

Summary
After collecting my information I concluded that, while I am going to try to solve all the problems of the space, the problems that I am going to focus on are lack of privacy, availability of the spac
This picture is of the aditions that i plan to put into the space. The orange is the original...
This image contains an elevation of the exterior north side of the library and a section of the...
Rooftop Garden (left): This is an idea for what I want the roof to look like. I want the roof to be...
This drawing shows my ideas for how I want the furniture layout to look on the first floor and the...
In my rooftop garden I will be placing a small green roof to act as an experiment.
I took a trip to Tennessee and took my ACT’s in a high school there. During that brief visit, I...
This is the sky fold door I intend to place to separate the space of the library that is available...

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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

sarahelstien's work for the Develop Solutions step:

Summary
I included the final drawings which are all drawn to scale. They include measurments and floor plans of all 3 floors of the library
Here is a first floor floor plan. I intend to make use of the existing staircase and add two more...
This drawing is a floor plan of the upper floor loft being added. It will be above the existing...
Seen in the drawing is the added rooftop garden. The awnings will hold solar panels and create...
Furniture Plan for the First Floor: This plan shows that two sections of the library that will...
Furniture Plan for the Loft: the loft is a private space that I see being used by students wanting...
Furniture plan for rooftop garden: A series of interesting and functional roofs/awnings will...

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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.

sarahelstien's work for the Final Design step:

Summary
I made a model of my final design, included are the pictures that capture the project. My final design is different from the original structure because of the interesting geometry.
I feel that it is important to mention that my materials will be consistent with the materials that...
The rooftop garden incorporates different heights of roofs that again contrast the existing...
This picture shows what I want to do with the contrasting roofs of the old and new structure and...
In this picture you can see again where the existing structure used to be (in yellow). Notice that...
This angle is the angle that the sun is going to be directed at the most. As part of my green...
Notice that in this photograph that all the rooms to the left do not have the yellow paper (meaning...
The space of the existing structure is represented by the yellow. The spaces added are the extra...

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