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When skillfully introduced, daylight creates an ambience of quiet contemplation and visual comfort. The effective use of daylight in library design is both an art and a science. (1)
In all areas of the Fiore-Irgens proposed building, high efficiency, clear glass will maximize light penetration and minimize the exterior mirror effect seen in many corporate office buildings.
South facing windows are the easiest to protect against direct solar radiation since the sun is at relatively high angles for most of the day. The library's south facade (Washington Ave.) will be carefully designed to control and diffuse direct sunlight. The horizontal sun shades pictured in the renderings are intentionally located high above the eye level to shade the glass while providing the least visual obstruction. The design of the exterior sunshades make them permeable to daylight while maintaining full shading characteristics.
The library's design consciously considers energy efficiency by incorporating some solid wall area on the west and east sides, addressing concerns over direct morning and afternoon sunlight on the building. While commercial office buildings must wrap the entire perimeter of the building with windows, our design expresses the library use with vertical window bays that offer bright, cheerful seating areas along the building's length while striking a balance between the amount of glass and the realities summer solar gain/winter heat loss. In addition, The building's 90-foot depth combined with fourteen-foot high ceilings and internal light shelves will deliver diffuse daylight deep into the building interior.
Bay windows on West Washington Ave and also on Henry Street will give library patrons the type of views usually reserved for CEO's and executive corner offices. In cold winter months, patrons will enjoy the opportunity to find a comfortable seat in the sun. A cozy chair and a great street view will be a big draw for library users.
The 6th floor of the library is envisioned to be a prime public meeting space providing expansive views of the city's skyline. With its high ceilings and deep roof overhangs, daylight in this space will be bright and even throughout the day. A modest but effective outdoor patio on the south side will be a delightful place to view the Capitol or catch some fresh air.
by: Steve Holzhauer
(1) Daylighting Design in Libraries. 2005. Edward t. Dean, AIA
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Do we have any standard for what amount of light (luminance) is required for a Library? in reading area? in stacks? in reference section? cubicle?
ReplyDeleteVery detailed knowledge has been gained in the evolution of good library design and functionality. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America publishes the following suggestions. We have detailed recommendations that suggest 35 foot-candles are needed at the top of the book stack, and 6 foot-candles at the bottom. Areas like cataloging, circulation desk and reference desk, computer areas, listening areas and reading areas are looking for 30 foot-candles illuminance. Lighting designers typically prefer 40-50 foot-candles at the circulation and reference desk, an amount higher than EIS suggests. Also, in areas where extremely small print or finely detailed items are being studied, they suggest 50 foot-candles.
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