Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center / Marble Fairbanks Architects
+ 21
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15256 ft²
Year:
2020
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Manufacturers: Decoustics, Morin Corp., Assa Abloy, Kawneer, Oldcastle APG, Pac-Clad, Advanced Architectural Products, Armstrong, ConcreteWorks East, Evan Eisman Company, Forbo, Mosa
The architects provided text description. One of the fifty eight neighborhood libraries that make up Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), the Greenpoint Library is home to the Environmental Education Center and the Greenpoint Library. This network of libraries is distributed throughout Brooklyn and provides essential social, cultural, educational, and cultural services to the diverse communities they serve. This project was funded in part by a Legacy Grant from Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund. It is the result of active engagement between BPL, the community, and the library.
The new building will be accessible to all residents. It partners with local environmental groups to provide opportunities to learn more about Greenpoint’s rich history and unique ecological context. Many of these environmental groups are represented on a Community Advisory Committee that was integral to the inclusive design process. The new Greenpoint Library is a central venue where local organizations can come together to work on projects that will benefit the residents of Greenpoint and the natural environment.
The Greenpoint Library is a 15,000-square-foot community hub for environmental activism, education, and awareness. The new design doubles its size and provides more outdoor and indoor spaces for expanded activities that are related to environmental exploration as well as daily library use. The program’s main elements are the collection spaces and reading rooms for adults, young adults, and children, as well as community spaces. The two levels include lab spaces for interactive projects, large community event spaces (which can be broken into lab spaces), a lounge and small meeting rooms. Staff spaces are also available.
Moments promoting environmental awareness are integrated throughout the project with the goal of creating environmental stewards out of future generations. The landscape supports a local natural environment. Solar windows are used to align building systems with solstices or equinoxes. Local materials are also noted in the interior. Cast concrete panels and custom sandblasted wood are some of the exterior materials, which were developed in collaboration with a Brooklyn artisan.
The large outdoor space helps in stormwater retention as well as the ongoing combined sewer overflow problems caused by bioswales at street level. The community can access the water tank from the upper roof to water their community gardens.
The landscape provides habitats to native birds and pollinators. The outdoor spaces were created and valued by the community during the pandemic. The street-level civic space serves as a front porch for the community and a place for informal gatherings. The reading garden hosts book talks, storytime, and sewing classes. The community can enjoy food from the demonstration garden, as well as programming that ranges from stargazing to pickling.
The Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center offers street-level green space, clear visual connections with interior activities, and two accessible green roofs at the upper floors. The plaza design gives the public an engaging civic space that demonstrates sustainability. It also reinterprets the regional environmental history. This will allow the library to continue extensive public programming that focuses on environmental activism and serve as a community hub of education and awareness in the larger contexts for public responsibility. The building will surpass the LEED requirements, and will be a demonstration project for innovative sustainable design approaches and a learning resource for the community.
