December 29, 2006

A New Year for a New Darien Library

This is the year when construction will start on the New Darien Library. We have some final approvals to receive, and cost estimates and bids are still in the offing, but we are tentatively planning on breaking ground in April. Construction is expected to finish in the fall of 2008.

Years of planning, hundreds of meetings, and the tradition and reputation of the Darien Library have led up to this moment. Coordination between the staff of the Library, and the work of Peter Gisolfi Associates, with leadership from the New Building Committee chaired by Jenny Streeter and David Campbell, have led to the design of an extraordinarily attractive building that will be the central focus for cultural life in Darien.

The citizens of Darien take out so many books and other items, and visit the Darien Library so often, that it is the busiest library in the state. That support of the Library is shown in the success we have had in raising private funds for the building project. George Wyper and Kim Huffard, Capital Campaign Chairs, have raised $21 million of the $24 million needed -- but don't worry, if you haven't had a chance to contribute, the public fund raising campaign is about to begin.

Library Journal has called the new building a "great library in the making;" plans are for a "green" building with LEED certification to reduce environmental costs; quiet spaces with books, active spaces with coffee and friends, expanded children's resources, technology that will work for users -- all are in the future.

Right now is a time to pause and take stock before the first shovel is in the ground, the first beam rises in the air, and long before the building opens, with thoughts about a past of accomplishment and a future of extraordinary promise.

Posted by Alan Kirk Gray at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2006

Next Steps

Now that Planning & Zoning has approved our request for a zoning change that will allow construction of the new library, we have several other approvals to receive before we can begin construction:

We will still have to appear before the Architectural Review Board, the Health Department, the State of CT Department of Transportation (for curb cuts on Post Road) and the Town of Darien Department of Public Works (for curb cuts on Hecker Avenue.)

In the meanwhile, we have completed design development:

A stage subsequent to schematic design where the schematic design decisions are worked out in greater detail. A clear and coordinated description of all aspects of the design including Architectural, Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical and Fire Protection Systems is worked out providing a basis for the preparation of construction documents.

Source

Currently we, together with AP Construction, the project construction manager, and Peter Gisolfi Associates (PGA), our architects, are doing a cost estimate of the project. Next step will be for PGA begin final work on construction documents.

Documents that set forth the detailed requirements for the construction of a building project. They consist of Drawings and Specifications. Drawings are the illustrative component of construction documents, whereas Specifications are written requirements pertaining to building materials, equipment, and construction systems that outline the standards to be met in the construction of a project.

Source

The construction documents will be completed at about the end of year and then we will go through a period of bidding and review of proposals, before letting contracts in time for a ground-breaking in the Spring of 2007.

If all stays on schedule, we are looking for a completion of the new building in time for us to move in early the Fall of 2008.

Posted by Alan Kirk Gray at 09:50 AM

September 11, 2006

This Speaks Volumes

The Planning & Zoning Commission of the Town of Darien is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, September 12 at 8:00 pm. On the agenda is the following:

"Amendment to the Zoning Map/Change of Zone, Business Site Plan #246/Special Permit, Darien Library, Inc., 1441 Boston Post Road. Proposing to apply the Municipal Use (MU) floating zone and construct a new Darien Library with associated parking and landscaping on the properties formerly occupied by Splash Car Wash and Century Gas Station and perform related site development activities. DECISION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2006."

Approval by Planning & Zoning is an important and critical step in the timeline for design, bidding and construction of the new library.

Posted by Alan Kirk Gray at 09:13 AM | Comments (1)

August 23, 2006

Looking for a new way to provide reference services

An outwork is a defensive position used in siege warfare.

Here's an example of one in the modern day:

Okay, I'm being unfair, but not inaccurate. Note the configuration, protected on all sides, and from the rear, with clear line of sight and good defilade position. The sense of it is, "we're here, and you're there, this is our workspace, and let's keep it that way." By the way, the space was designed in 1984, and it's quite welcoming for its type. And let me make this very clear -- the staff that work here are among the most helpful, professional and committed librarians you are ever going to find. IM them if you're not near Darien and you'll see.

That's why the Reference Staff of Darien Library, led by Mary Freedman, decided to do things differently in our new library, which will open in 2008.

What they've decided is that we are NOT going to have a desk or any kind of barrier, but that reference librarians will work in partnership with patrons at reference "pods." Truly, we don't have a clue what they are going to be like exactly (we have done lots of sketches but we aren't to the mock up stage yet -- some drawings look like lima beans, or saddleshapes or boomerangs) except we know the general principle is that a reference librarian and the patron will sit together so they can share access to computing resources if necessary. And the space will clearly as much the patron's space as it is the librarian's space.

When we started talking about this concept two years ago, we got some very helpful and supportive comments from Scott Bennett, Yale University Librarian Emeritus who commented how rare it was for a public library to be going in this direction. He pointed us to the concept embodied in the planning for the Welch Medical Library at Johns Hopkins of "touchdown suites." We don't have enough space in our new building to do things that way, but we like the empasis on comfortable collaboration.

We're sure that others are working towards the same goal of removing barriers and prompting a partnership between patron and librarian, and it would be wonderful if sometime in the last two years, somewhere, there's been installed a collaborative reference space that is just perfect. Great. If so, we'd love to take a look. Failing that, it's back to the sketches and mockups.

In the meanwhile, we're coming out with our hands up.

Posted by Alan Kirk Gray at 07:15 PM | Comments (1)

August 12, 2006

Design Details

I met yesterday at Peter Gisolfi Associates with Frank Craine and Cheng Hsun Wu of PGA, and Todd Berling of Harvey Marshall Berling Associates (Acoustic, Theater and AV Technology Consultants retained by PGA.)

We were looking at the auditorium (Community Room) plans for the new building, and also the Conference Room. Much of the discussion was on what kind of lighting, sound and presentation technology the Community Room would need. It's amazing how much attention has to be paid, for example, to how many speakers will be installed, and what needs to be considered in their placement, or lighting (incandescent, it was decided for any number of reasons), and how to gang the controllers so different schemes of lighting can be used. This is but one of many spaces in the new buildling, and just one set of literally thousands of decisions that have been made, or are yet to be made.

At some point during the meeting I was struck by the layers of paper on the table, and took this picture. Only afterwards did I realize that Todd has the strange ability to hold several pens in his hand and use them interchangeably. Impressive.

Posted by Alan Kirk Gray at 03:21 PM | Comments (1)

July 26, 2006

Early Positive Reinforcement

Library Journal published an article in December 2004 -- which was its Year in Architecture issue -- about "Great Libraries in the Making." Some of our plans have changed in the 18 months since then, but it's pleasing to look back and realize how positive were these first public comments about the new building we are planning.

You can read the whole article here. What I said at the time still stands now as our most important principle:

"This is a library that prides itself on its customer service," Gray says. "We believe that by putting more technology in the new building we won't lose that relationship—in fact, we're going to enhance it."

Posted by Alan Kirk Gray at 07:14 PM