Category Archives: Cedar Rapids Library Design

Cedar Rapids Public Library Seeks Submissions for Public Art

Posted on by
Reply

The Cedar Rapids Public Library Public Art Task Force is seeking qualifications from artists for two projects associated with the new downtown library. Opportunities exist for artists to create a sculpture for the Urban Plaza, as well as a southern exterior art installation.

Interested artists should submit their qualifications by February 29, 2012 through CAFÉ™, a free online interactive system.

To view project descriptions, budgets, and details about how to apply for these opportunities, please visit www.callforentry.org, click on “Call Listings,” scroll down to “Cedar Rapids Public Library Public Art Commissions,” and select “View More Info.” Interested artists can click on “Apply for this Call” to create a free account and submit their application.

For more information on the Public Art Task Force and the two art commissions, contact Amber Mussman at (319) 739-0404 or mussmana@crlibrary.org.

Recycling and Reusing a Major Focus of New Library Site Preparation

Posted on by
Reply

Demolition of the former TrueNorth building will soon be underway on the site located on the 400 block of 4th Avenue SE in preparation for the construction of the new Cedar Rapids Public Library.

Crews are currently thoughtfully selecting items to be salvaged and recycled. In the next three to five weeks, the building will be systematically taken apart.

“They are taking all of the doors, most of the carpeting and decorative wood trip to resell in the Habitat for Humanity Restore,” said Bob Pasicznyuk, Library Director. “Other items, such as 100% of the glass from the building, are going to the Iowa Waste Exchange who is assisting in finding homes and alternate uses.”

The new library project team has been working towards the goal of a Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

“It has been a goal to recycle at least 90% of the building,” said Bruce Hamous, project manager for OPN Architects. “We believe we will be able to surpass that goal and recycle more than 94% of the building.”

The new library is anticipated to open in summer 2013. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held in March 2012. The community will be encouraged to attend and share in the celebration.

For more information on the Cedar Rapids Public Library, visit www.crlibrary.org or call (319) 398-5123.

Many thanks to the partners who are working diligently to make this an incredibly sustainable project:

  • Library Board of Trustees
  • OPN Architects
  • Ryan Companies
  • The City of Cedar Rapids
  • Knutson Construction
  • Rathje Construction
  • Habitat for Humanity ReStore
  • Iowa Waste Exchange

Cedar Rapids Public Library Enters Next Phase of Library Project

Posted on by
Reply

The next step in the new library project is now underway. Sections of fence are slated to go this week around the new library’s site, located at 421 4thAvenue SE.

Dusk shot Urban Plaza side

Dusk shot Urban Plaza side

“We are very excited to start the next phase of this project,” said Bob Pasicznyuk, the library’s director. “We’re going to have a library that people will treasure for generations.”

Before demolition can begin, everything that can be recycled from inside the former TrueNorth building  will be removed from the site. Recycling and re-purposing materials earns the library project points towards the goal of platinum certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. This means everything from doors to toilets to electrical fixtures will be recycled, with the goal to keep 90 percent of the materiel from the former TrueNorth building out of the landfill.

Demolition is anticipated to begin after the first of the year.

The library will host a community celebration in March to mark the beginning of the next phase of construction.

The new library will open completely debt free. Federal disaster dollars, a state I-JOBS grant and private donations are paying most of the cost of the new library with the help of $4 million in revenue from the city’s local-option sales tax. No revenue from city property taxes is being used.

The new library is expected to open in June 2013.

Construction Bids for new Cedar Rapids Public Library Come in Under Budget

Posted on by
Reply

Bids for the construction of the Cedar Rapids Public Library were read today at City Hall and came in under the estimated budget amount of $24.65 million.

“The Library is encouraged that a year and a half’s hard work by the design team, Board of Trustees and citizens has yielded a fiscally sound and practical library,” said Library Director Bob Pasicznyuk. “In the next weeks, the Library’s Board of Trustees will validate bids, weigh the merit of project alternates, and move the community forward to restored, state of the art libraries that will carry out our mission for literacy and lifelong learning.”

Demolition for the new downtown library, located on the 400 block of 4th Avenue SE, is scheduled to begin in December 2011. The Library is anticipated to open summer 2013.

For more information on the Cedar Rapids Public Library, call (319) 398-5123 or visit www.crlibrary.org.

New Images of Library 3.0

Posted on by
3

The new Downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library

There are so many exciting aspects to Library 3.0, more than we can show in a few sketches. These artistic renderings show how full of light the new library will be and how the space is meant to be flexible and easy to navigate.
A 200-seat auditorium with a view of Greene Square Park will be a signature part of our new library. This is a space that the community will use for a wide variety of functions, from author readings to dance recitals.
A children’s library nearly double the size of the previous one will make this a space for the newest generation of Cedar Rapidians to engage in learning, reading, and playing. A partnership with a variety of children’s service organizations (CELI) will make this an innovative space for early childhood education.
A fireplace on the second floor near the non-fiction stacks will make reading your favorite book or magazine cozy in the winter months, and a green roof/garden and patio make this the place-to-be downtown in the warmer months.
The 95,000 square foot library is expected to be completed summer 2013.

Ariel shot of the Library - Green Roof

Auditorium Interior

The 200-seat auditorium faces onto Greene Square Park.

Childrens Collection

The new children's library is nearly doubly the size of the 1985 library.

Lobby

When you enter the new library, you enter into a welcoming service hub. This includes a space for quick-internet access, a cafe, entry to the teen area, stairs to go to the 2nd floor, elevator, self-checks and staff service stations. You will be able to enter the library from the north or south and find your way just by looking around.

Cedar Rapids Public Library Kicks Off Capital Campaign

Posted on by
Reply

Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library Donate $400,000 in Honor of the Group’s 40th Anniversary

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is one giant step closer to rising from the flood waters that destroyed it nearly three years ago to building a library of the future.

The library kicked off the public phase of its capital campaign today, announcing that a $400,000 donation from the Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library has pushed the “Library 3.0” capital campaign over the halfway mark toward its $5 million goal.

At a campaign kickoff event held at Greene Square, across the street from the library’s new site, children who are patrons of the library lined up and overturned large, numbered cards unveiling that $3,454,246.57 has been raised to date.

“We’re most thankful and excited to see that the Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library feel as strongly about this project as we do,” said Gary Streit, Library 3.0 Campaign co-chair. “And, we couldn’t be more appreciative of the campaign’s two lead donors—the Hall-Perrine Foundation, with a $3 million matching grant, and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), with a $500,000 donation. Although these gifts were previously announced, we would be remiss to not recognize and express our gratitude to these two pillars of our community today.”

The Hall-Perrine Foundation grant has been critical to the campaign’s success and will continue to be important going forward, with each dollar contributed by private donors being matched by the foundation, up to $3 million. Nearly $2.5 million of the total funds raised have already qualified for the match.      

“The Hall-Perrine Foundation’s investment in the new library is consistent with our mission statement, to improve the quality of life for people in Linn County,” said Jack Evans, president of the Hall-Perrine Foundation. “This visionary project will help shape the future of Cedar Rapids. It will be a space of pride and learning for the entire community.”

The 95,000-square-foot library is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013. The new library will contain an information center; a technology hub—complete with public computers and an automated check-out system; a gathering and entertainment center—which includes a 200-seat auditorium and green room; and an early learning resource center to prepare young minds for school and life.

Prior to the 2008 flood, an average of 1,200 individuals walked through the library doors every day. The new library is expected to attract 1,600 people a day.

“Our new library is going to change the way people traditionally have thought of libraries—it truly is going to be a library of the future,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett. “It will be a vibrant, multipurpose destination offering something for every age and walk of life, attracting people to our downtown and expanding the customer base for area businesses.”

Library 3.0 is part of a $49.6 million project to build the new library, plus $1 million to strengthen the endowment fund to guarantee the future of the library.  The bulk of the project is being paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster payments, a state I-JOBS grant, funds from the City of Cedar Rapids for land purchase and other state and federal funds.

“We are very thankful for all of the donations we have already received,” said Streit. “By kicking off Library 3.0, we hope the excitement will spread to others and motivate them to be a part of something great. After the flood of 2008, I saw Cedar Rapids residents come together to end something terrible; now it’s time for us all to come together to build something extraordinary.”

For more information on the Cedar Rapids Public Library, visit www.crlibrary.org. For information on how to donate visit http://crlibrary.org/index.php/foundation or www.crlibrarycampaign.org.

Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation Kicks Off Capital Campaign May 17

Posted on by
Reply

The Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation will hold an event on Tuesday, May 17, from 5:00-6:30 pm to kick off the public phase of the Library 3.0 capital campaign. The public is invited to attend! There will be refreshments, music, and architectural renderings of the new Library.

Help us celebrate the early success of the Library’s 3.0 capital campaign. Campaign goal, major gifts, and total dollars raised to date will be announced. Program starts at 5:30 pm.

The celebration will be held at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art in the event of rain.

Sustainability at the Library–What are the facts?

Posted on by
3

The Cedar Rapids Public Library Board of Trustees has mandated that the public library will be built to LEED Gold Certification standards as established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).  The library design team consisting of the library officials, OPN Architects, Design Engineers, Ament Engineering and Ryan Companies have set this as a minimum standard and hope to achieve the level of Platinum Certification in the LEED Rating System.

The Iowa Energy Code standards are set at a baseline for high-performance public buildings. The new Library will exceed the baseline by 55% and will earn all 19 possible points in the LEED Energy Optimization Credit.

The HVAC system in the new Library will use Geothermal Heat Exchange that will substantially reduce overall energy consumption and the cost of operating the Library. For example, the 1985 Library building’s energy consumption averaged around 100 kbtu’s per square foot. The new Library is designed to consume only 37 kbtu’s per square foot, even though it is approximately 10 percent larger.

The exterior windows that comprises less than 30 percent of the exterior of the building have thermal isolation breaks to eliminate cold outside temperatures being tansferred to the inside surfaces of the frames. The glazing is high-performance, 1″ double-glazed insulating glass with a low e-coating which increases the insulating value and reduces Solar Heat Gain.

The exterior envelope of the new library has been designed to minimize “thermal bridges” and short circuits through the wall assemply. The exterior walls are designed as rain screen assemblies which allow the ventilated wall cavities to “breathe” and cut down and/or eliminate opportunities for mold growth in concealed spaces. The anticipated R-value of the non-glass, exterior walls is R-28.

The Library is designed to take full advantage of Daylight Harvesting techniques while minimizing glare on workstation surfaces through the strategic location of windows, large overhangs on the first floor, solar light tubes, and exterior sunscreens and automatically controlled perforated roller shades that are tied to daylight sensors in the staff work areas. The linear indirect lighting fixtures will use high-efficiency T5 HE florescent bulbs that reduce the watts per square foot consumed by the building.  The overhead lighting fixtures will also be tied to daylight sensors that will automatically dim or turn off all overhead lighting fixtures that are not needed to provide adequate illumination to the public spaces of the library during daytime operating hours.

The building will employ several strategies to manage stormwater on the site.  Twenty thousand square feet of the second floor roof will be developed as a green roof accessible to the public.  The green roof will absorb most of the stormwater that would have otherwise entered the storm sewer through roof drains.  The rainwater that falls on the remainder of the roof areas and paved hardscape of the site will be directed to underground water-quality vaults through pervious paving to allow it to naturally drain into the soil.  The objective is to retain 100% of all rainwater that lands on the site from all but an unusually heavy storm and preclude any of it from entering the storm sewer system.

The goal of the Board of Trustees and the Library Design Team has been to build a Library that will perform as efficiently as possible, both to reduce the environmental impact and to reduce the cost of maintaining our building. It is with this goal in mind that the team will continue to develop and build a Library that the City of Cedar Rapids will celebrate.

Sustainability and Our New, Downtown Library

Posted on by
10

From the outset, the Library’s Board of Trustees charged the project design group with achieving a LEED Gold rating for the building.  While the Gold Rating remains our minimum requirement, we are striving for a Platinum LEED rating. This would be one of only a handful of LEED Certified Platinum buildings in the state and one of the most sustainable libraries in the country.

We are currently working with the Department of Natural Resources to gain approval for a geothermal system for the building. We are also working toward inclusion of a green roof on the project so that our contribution to storm water run-off is neutral – virtually no water reaching the site will go directly into storm drains.

There seems to be some concern with the amount of glass used in the design. Please keep in mind that the photo-realistic rendering you’ve seen only portrays part of the structure. There is actually a fair amount of balance between the use of glass and hard surfaces.  The first floor children’s library and the front side of the fiction area are almost entirely rimmed with glass – albeit the highest energy efficient glass to be had with today’s technology. The rest of the first floor and much of the second are hard-walled with some windows. The auditorium envelope is entirely hard-walled save for the front which faces Green Square.

There is also a positive trade off in the use of glass.  Daylight not only results in a fantastic library experience, it allows us to use daylight control systems to mitigate our use of electricity. Studies show a savings of 30% to 40% when daylighting control systems are used to reduce electric light usage. At the same time, these controls improve the overall user experience.

Project modeling forecasts that we will receive plentiful LEED credits for energy performance, light pollution, and exterior lighting. Our design team is also optimistic that the project will garner a significant amount of revenue from the Alliant Energy High Performance Building Program.

Sustainability has been a priority for the Board of Trustees and the design team on this project since the beginning, and it will remain a significant factor in the building of our new downtown library.

For more information on LEED Certification, visit the US Green Building Council.

–Bob Pasicznyuk, Library Director

Cedar Rapids Public Library Unveils First Renderings of New Building

Posted on by
7

 

CRPL Design

This is the design of the new Cedar Rapids Public Library. Images courtesy of OPN Architects.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – January 6, 2011 – The first renderings of the new Cedar Rapids Public Library were approved by the Board of Trustees on January 6 during their regularly scheduled meeting. The two images reflect the design of the Library from the front, facing Greene Square Park; one during the day and one at night.

“We are glad to have the opportunity to present these images to our Board of Trustees and to share them with the entire community,” said Bob Pasicznyuk, Library Director. “We are building a state-of-the-art library that will serve this community for years to come. This is another step towards that goal.”

The Library building will cost approximately $25 million. The total project cost is approximately $49 million, including land acquisition and preparation, building contents (books, technology, furniture, etc), professional services, public art, and a contingency fund.

The Library design team includes OPN Architects, Ryan Construction, and members of the Board of Trustees. They meet with the Building Committee of the Board of Trustees once a month to update them on their progress.

The project is expected to be complete in summer 2013.

 

CRPL Night

The building is transparent and gives off a glow during the evening hours. Image courtesy of OPN Architects.