In the capstone class of my undergraduate education, we were tasked with comprehensively designing a library in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This library was to feature large areas dedicated to reading and book storage, a sizeable admin wing, an event space, a multi-purpose music hall, and a public computer room.
To drive the design, three of the AIA Criteria for Design Excellence were selected: Designing for Energy, Designing for Well-being, and Designing for Discovery. These criteria, detailed in the first image below, took form in three primary massing moves. First, a building-scale trombe wall was created on the building's south façade. Next, an interior courtyard was formed to separate the masses and allow for interior-exterior inhabitance. Finally, the ground floor of the Northern mass was lifted, allowing people to flow freely into and out of the building's footprint.
Beyond design, this project includes climate analysis, energy analysis, sound analysis, life safety plans, HVAC plans, equipment selection, structural framing plans, shear strategies, and material assembly details.
