In honor of National Library Week, we will be sharing a few of our recent library projects throughout the week. The theme for this year is “Connect with Your Library“. We hope you get the opportunity to visit some of these beautiful libraries and show appreciation for the hard working staff and committees that put so much effort into providing all of us with the opportunity to connect with new worlds through access to technology, multimedia content, and educational programs.
Other Features Included
- Adaptive re-use of spaces for Modern, Flexible Public Area
- New MEP/FP systems
Braddock Carnegie Library project.
The Braddock Carnegie Library was the first Carnegie Library in the United States. The library was named a National Historic Landmark in 2012. H.F. Lenz Company provided the engineering services for the development of a Master Plan for the existing library. Subsequently, we were retained to provide the engineering services to implement those recommendations. The MEP systems were at the end of their life. Over the years, there had been minor incremental renovations to portions of the building—typically one room at a time—resulting in spaces that functioned for their needs, dependent on outdated system. The facility had also previously housed a swimming pool, which had been abandoned many years ago. That space was re-purposed to provide a flexible space with café, retail and assembly uses. The project also included an Artist in Residence space with loft.
Due to the complexity of the original building, the design team utilized a 3D laser scanning technology. In a little over one month’s time, the existing building was fully documented and translated into a BIM. This process saved countless hours of manual documentation and measurement via traditional methods.
The goal of the new facility was to provide Braddock Carnegie Library Association the ability to fulfill its impactful social mission as a responsive, essential place of community imagination, learning, development, and enrichment for the 5 communities it serves and the entire Pittsburgh region.
Dale P. Latimer Library at St. Vincent College
H.F. Lenz Company provided the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering services for the renovation and addition to the library. The objectives of the project included transforming the library into a 21st-century learning commons and technology hub, to leverage new technologies to enhance teaching and distance-learning capabilities and to improve the preservation and display of the College and Archabbey art and rare book collections.
The lower level features new classrooms, a computer laboratory, service desk, open social space with barista café, writing and tutoring center, instructional technology offices, video production suite and small group collaborative and study rooms.
The middle level houses an expanded circulation area for interlibrary loan and bibliographic instruction, conventional and compact stacks, small-group study rooms, printer-copier devices and an open social space at the entrance.
The top level offers solitary study spaces, group study rooms, library staff offices, three primary art galleries, a gallery video exhibit room and a rare book exhibition and storage area.
The total building square footage at the completion of the project was 55,600 sq.ft.
The project has attained LEED Silver and received a 2021 Building Excellence Award from the Master Builders’ Association (MBA) in the New Construction Between $10-$25 million category.
Other Features Included
REVIT modeling
New MEP/FP systems
Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County
We recently completed the MEP/FP engineering services for the renovations to this historic Carnegie Library, built in 1910, and spaces that were added in later additions the 1990’s. The project also included a new main entrance that reconstructed the original historic entrance, and new interior public spaces to support large meetings and events.
The first-floor includes a podcasting studio, story-time area, playscape, children’s computers, teen space, children’s collection and K-6 STEM space.
The second floor houses public access computers, small meeting rooms and conference rooms.
The lower level (of the 1910 building) included design of new lighting, technology and audio-visual systems, and upgrades to the space that included new administrative offices, collaborative spaces, a large meeting room and modular work spaces with additional teaching kitchen space.
A grand opening for the new library is scheduled for June 11, 2022!
