The new library will be approximately 4,500 square feet, almost triple the size of the current one. It will be located on West 3rd street, across from the RTD Park-n-Ride, close to Nederland’s retail and business center.
In 2008, Nederland recognized the need for a new facility and vacated land for the purpose of building a larger and more modern library. The NCL Foundation purchased an adjoining lot resulting in a 16,000 square feet site.
The larger site and building will allow the library to better serve the Nederland community by housing numerous patron, community rooms and staff areas. President of the NCL District, Kay Turnbaugh said, “OZ was selected over 12 firms that responded to the RFQ. They were awarded the project because of their experience with civic architecture and community projects, interest in engaging community artisans and ability to deliver a sustainable design that supports needs now and into the future.”
The proposed library will be a compact building that integrates well into the neighborhood commercial zoning district. Parking will be accessed from the Peak to Peak Highway, and the library will have pedestrian access from W 2nd and W 3rd Streets.
A dedicated town trail will permit access through the site and across a new pedestrian bridge at North Beaver Creek. The library will include expanded space for the book collections, as well as for public use of computers, reading areas and work tables.
A multi-purpose room will be created to accommodate children’s story hours, small meetings, craft projects, book talks, and public presentations. Areas will also be provided for staff work, a director’s office and the Library Foundation book storage.
The building will be designed to be warm and inviting, and may even include a fireplace. It will use some local material such as stone as well as wood and glass, and will feature a sloped metal roof. “One of the goals for the library is to make it sustainable,” said project designer Paul Trementozzi, AIA, principal at OZ. “We have investigated various alternatives and selected the ones that are cost effective for this location and building size and use. These include passive solar gain for heating, day lighting through the use of clerestory windows, manually controlled natural ventilation that eliminates the need for air conditioning, and a super insulated building envelope.”
The roof has been designed for the possible future installation of photo-voltaic panels to generate part of the electric power required. Heating will be provided through a radiant floor slab making the building especially comfortable for children seated on the floor during story hours. Many of the interior materials and furniture will use recycled materials, rapidly renewable wood products, and products that do not emit noxious gases or odors.
Additional team members for the project include JVA Consulting Engineers as structural and civil engineer, PCS Group, Inc. as landscape architect, and ME Group as the mechanical/electrical and plumbing engineers.
