Located in downtown Ashland, the 1912 Carnegie Library is a community landmark and a reminder of the city’s heritage. Given its prominence, the community had strong sentiments about retaining the historic portion of the building and ensuring the library remained at its current location to accommodate a 14,000 sf expansion.
SERA established a storefront office in the Ashland downtown district and invited the public to participate in concept development. Our team worked closely with the librarians, the building committee and the public to incorporate community requirements into the design schemes and ensure priorities and concerns were addressed. As a result, the project is one-third restoration, one-third new building, one-third sustainable, and 100 percent community-based.
SERA created a library that is user-friendly, functional, and was designed according to principles of The Natural Step and the LEED rating system. Key green building measures include natural daylighting and natural ventilation strategies that provide a high level of user comfort while significantly lowering energy costs. Materials were selected for their low VOC and recycled content as well as their availability through local sources.
