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Lake View Terrace Branch Library

Lake View Terrace Branch Library

Lake View Terrace Branch Library Interior

Lake View Terrace Branch Library Interiors

Lake View Terrace Branch Library Site Plans - West Elevation

Lake View Terrace Branch Library Site Plans - South Elevation

Lake View Terrace Branch Library

Lake View Terrace Branch Library in the city of Los Angeles is a model of environmentally sustainable design and a civic landmark. The program for the facility called for a LEED Platinum certified building and it is the first project by the city to attempt this level of certification. The 10,700-square foot building includes the library, a community room, environmental display gallery, and exterior courtyard.

The building plan responds to the community’s desire for a library that reflects the rancho tradition of the region, with interior spaces organized around an open central courtyard. A spacious main reading room stretches along an east/west axis and enjoys dramatic views of the park to the south. The orientation of the building and shaping of its forms protects the interior spaces from direct sunlight, controlling heat gain and preventing glare while maximizing daylight and views. Light shelves, overhangs, recesses, fins, louvers, and spectrally selective glazing shape sunlight for superior interior light quality. A passive evaporative cooling tower marks the building entry and captures prevailing winds, delivering cooler air into the library lobby and courtyard. The building’s arched forms enhance cross ventilation of interior volumes through pressure differentials created on either side of these spaces.

The library’s energy performance is over 40 percent more efficient than California standards. The design of the structure provides nearly 100 percent shading of glazing during operating hours and the building shell is high mass CMU with exterior insulation to allow night venting. The exterior skin is well-insulated and includes an ENERGY STAR-compliant high-emissivity roofing. Building-integrated photovoltaics on the community room roof and at the entry trellis generate 14 percent of the building’s energy use. During a typical day, all public areas including book stacks (93 percent of the building) achieve target lighting levels without electric lighting. Typical fixtures include dimmable ballasts controlled by photocells in daylight zones and occupancy sensors and timers where appropriate. Approximately 80 percent of the building is naturally ventilated with mechanically interlocked windows controlled by the building’s energy management system. Window location and interior volume shape maximize ventilation. HVAC systems with variable speed drives and pumps use non-HCFC refrigerants.

Energy efficient design strategies included load analysis and reduction, utilization and control of available site resources, and specification of right-sized equipment using advanced control technologies.

“This is an elegant building and a delightful space that makes sense--and contributes to its community and to the practice of sustainable design as an outstanding example,” the jurors declared. “Its clarity is its strength. The daylighting design helps to orient building users and it has a nice rhythm inside and out. It incorporates a very intelligent electric lighting design to complement its daylighting design.” They also cited its energy performance exceeding California standards by more than 40 percent. According to the jurors, all experts in energy-efficient and sustainable design, it was obvious that this project truly embodies sustainable design.

Notable Accomplishments

• LEED Platinum certified building
• Energy performance exceeding California standards by more than 40 percent.

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