Green Acres School Library

Green Acres School Library

Bethesda, MD

This 8,000sf library had to accommodate the existing collection plus an expansion of the shelving space. In addition to the administration area it has a space for computer research, a library-science classroom, an A/V room, a conference room, and an area for early childhood. This latter space has furniture and shelving at a smaller scale and a “story- telling” room.

a) Removal of existing masonry walls at the entrance to the library so that a “library presence” is established in the central part of the campus. Students are meant to be intrigued as they pass by the library, much like shoppers are attracted by display windows on main street.
b) Raising the roof over the main reading area to emphasize the importance of this particular place in the library with additional space and diffused light.

c) The inclusion of a library garden for a lone reader or for storytelling to a larger group. This outdoor area also serves to extend the boundaries of the library beyond the limits of the programmatic space, which achieves a “generosity” in feeling that would be absent otherwise. A gazebo is worked into the garden wall which echoes the space of the storytelling room on the interior.

d) In response to the need for a storytelling space in the Early Childhood area, the architect elected to use architectural elements, arched openings and colored glass to make a place which captures the imagination of the children rather than a literal representation of a “whale” or “castle”. This room has a steeply-pitched roof which marks this space on the exterior defines the interior space. This simple move elevates the room above the other parts of the library.