Southwest Neighborhood Library

Project Description

Pavilion on the Park

The new DC Southwest Library brings a sustainable and unique design to replace the previous outdated library. Needed by the community was a library that could provide state of the art technology, a place for training education and work force development, and vitality. The design-build team engaged the community at many levels to obtain crucial feedback that informed and inspired the design solution.

Comprised of a mass timber structure, this innovative building involves such elements as a highly unique timber folded plate roof using dowel laminated timber. The DLT panels, exposed at the library interior, pass over the building envelope to the exterior, where they are exposed as a warm, expansive wood soffit, drawing people into the building from the park.

Supporting the steel and timber lateral system are glulam beams and columns with detailed timber-to-steel connections. The Library achieved LEED Platinum Status, implementing sustainable strategies such as regionally sourced material, solar panels on the green roof, and timber throughout.