Anna Goodman | Thesis Volume II

The Place INDIAN VALLEY COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Anna Goodman Virginia Tech Interior Design, Spring 2025 Thesis Volume II

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Table of Contents

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Introduction Concept Design Specif ications Appendices

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Introduction

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Mission Statement Executive Summary End Users

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To s u p p or t t h e evol v i n g n eeds of th e co a fo u n d a t i on for a resi l i ent an d con n ec i n d i v i d u a l s by ex pan di n g acces s to kn o con n ec t i on , a n d re f le c t t h e libra r y ’s com lea rn in g a n d com m uni ty v i tal i ty.

Mission Statement

ommu nity a n d foste r c ted s o c ie ty, e m p owe r owled ge an d s o ci a l mmit m en t to l i fe l on g

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As community needs evolve, the role of libraries has shifted f rom being primarily a place of books to dynamic community hubs that provide education, technology, wellness, and social engagement resources. In smaller communities where public space is limited, the library becomes a vital resource center that influences how people navigate the neighborhood, feel a sense of place, and experience belonging, offering programs and spaces that reflect the specif ic values and needs of the area.

The Indian Valley Public Library (IVPL) has served f ive communities for over 60 years, and its evolution into a community center reflects a deep commitment to serving the community.

Over the years, the library has become a place to connect, learn, and grow.

Guided by a mission to foster lifelong learning, inclusivity, and community well-being, the library is dedicated to addressing the evolving needs of the communities it serves, aiming to f ill a crucial gap by offering services that reflect the values and aspirations of its residents. The new library will serve as a community anchor—a place where individuals of all ages can gather, access valuable resources, and experience a strong sense of belonging.

E xecutive Summary 8

FAMILIES

SENIOR CITIZENS

The library serves parents seeking educational and recreational resources for children, such as storytime sessions, youth literacy programs and familyfocused workshops.

Older adults use library resources for lifelong learning, social connection, and wellness programming.

Accessible spaces will support their community engagement.

STUDENTS

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

All learners will benef it f rom the library’s access to academic and career resources. This includes homeschooling families and those needing support for remote or hybrid learning.

Members engaged in local governance, public issues, or volunteering will have a hub for organizing, hosting forums, and accessing civic resources.

End Users

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Concept

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Benef its of Great Places Concept Planning

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BUILDS AND SUPPORTS AN EQUITABLE LOCAL ECONOMY • Small scale entrepreneurship • Economic development • Local ownership, local value

FOSTERS SOCIAL INTERACTION • Improve sociability • Draws a diverse population • Encourages community creativity

PROMOTES HEALTH • Increased physical activity • Greater social inclusion • Enhanced environmental health

Benef its of Great Places

NURTURES AND DEFINES SENSE OF COMMUNITY • Greater community organization • Sense of pride and volunteerism • Perpetuation of integrity and values

PROMOTES SENSE OF COMFORT • Generally stimulating • Sense of belonging • Feeling of f reedom

CREATES IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITY • More walkable • Safe for pedestrians and bicyclists • Greater connections between uses

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William H. Whyte was a pioneering urbanist and sociologist whose work transformed the way we understand public spaces and human behavior within them. For over 16 years, he studied the street life of New York City and documented pedestrian behavior and city dynamics. His ideas are the foundation for place making, which is the idea that we build our communities around places, reinventing public spaces as the heart of every community and strengthening the connection between people and the places they share.

Concept 14

PLACEMAKING A collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value. Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community.

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES What if we built our communities around places?

4 KEY ATTRIBUTES FOR GREAT PLACES • They are accessible and well connected to other important places in the area.

• They are comfortable and project a good image.

• They attract people to participate in activities there.

• They are sociable environments in which people want to gather and visit again and again.

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Key Elements of Urban Spaces

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Key Elements of Urban Spaces

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Planning

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Design

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Floor Plans Perspectives Axons

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LIBRARY ENTRANCE 24

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1 Plaza/Circulation

2 Information Desk

5 Meeting Space

6 Makerspace

9 Community Gathering

3 Reading Area 7 Children’s Area

10 Staff Workspace

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4 Technology Ac 8 Self Search/Ca

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Quiet Study

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Level 1 NTS

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ccess

The existing Cafe and Commercial Kitchen is a public cafe that may have hours outside of the library for community programming and events, and serves as a gathering space that supports local business.

talog

ction

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An Auditorium was identif ied as a need for the library to host community events, educational programs, community forums, and provide rental opportunities.

The f ront building provides an accessible Coworking Space that supports remote and hybrid workers, offers flexibility, and encourages networking. Additional meeting space is included for community members, organizations, and legislation, and multi-functional and flexible space for workshops, community events, and adaptable library programming.

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14 Teen Space

13 Young Adult

15 Circulation

16 Quiet Reading Room

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Level 2 NTS

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17 F

Fiction

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The Makerspace is an innovative, hands-on environment with access to specialized tools and technology. It has a separate entrance to be used by local schools or public groups for educational workshops or supplemental learning.

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Community Partner Space is for local organizations and non-prof its like Integrate for Good, Mitzvah Circle, and Keystone Opportunity Center. This can be used as satellite space for workshops, community volunteering, storage, educational programming, and expanding key programs.

The Staff Workspace is on both floors and is designed to support eff icient workflow and collaboration. It includes access to the loading dock, a delivery/receiving area, storage, private off ices for each of the full-time staff members, a private conference room, and staff break room. Part-time staff members also have space to do off-desk work.

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THE PLAZA is the heart of public life, designed to bring people together. It serves as the primary destination and gathering place, and the starting point from which the rest of the space unfolds. The outward expansion in the angles of the plaza reflect the way streets and pathways radiate from a city’s central square, guiding movement and defining zones. In the city, buildings shape plazas, STREETS, and social spaces. Book stacks play a similar role in the library, defining distinct zones while maintaining a sense of openness.

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SUNLIGHT is a magnetic force people gravitate to, creating a sense of vibrancy and energy.

THE STREET CORNER is not just an intersection, but a social magnet, natural gathering point, and activity hot spot critical to the vitality of urban space.

STEPS are the informal amphitheater, transitional social gathering zone.

THE STREET is the “river of life of the city, the place where we come together, the pathway to the center.

It is the primary place.”

ENTRANCES are the gateway to interaction, the threshold of sociability. They are highly visible, easy to navigate, and well integrated into the surrounding streets and plazas.

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BACK PLAZA

COURTYARD 32

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FIRST LEVEL READING AREA 34

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SECOND LEVEL READING AREA

THE READING AREAS are essential components of the library, serving as pause points — places reflection within the interior “city” of the library, providing users with a retreat from movement an and intellectual exploration.

where people can stop, rest, and observe. They function as moments of stillness and nd stimulation and creating contemplative zones that support focus, relaxation,

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QUIET READING ROOM 38

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COMMUNITY GATHERING 40

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THE TEEN SPACE provides space for academic support, gaming and social activities, book clubs and writing groups, and other teen resources.

A semi-public, flexible gathering space supports teens while they’re navigating identity, independence, and belonging. The threshold space acts like a social buffer that encourages casual interaction, collaboration, and visibility, while still having a sense of ownership over “their” zone.

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THE CHILDREN’S AREA functions as a lively side street within the interior “city” of the library, a pathway of exploration designed to spark movement, curiosity, and discovery.

Seating or informal steps echo the vibrancy of street corners, offering natural pause points where children can gather, climb, or read together.

Interactive features, reading nooks, and playful pockets act as social and sensory destinations.

Demco® ColorScape® 2-Tier Pull-out Browser Box

The entrance is open and visually connected to the plaza, allowing a seamless transition into the street.

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Specifications

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Sustainability Materials Reflected Ceiling Plans Wayf inding +Signage

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Sustainability transcends beyond materials and building practices; it encompasses the way space supports people, relationships, and the social fabric of communities over time. A truly sustainable environment nurtures not only ecological well-being but also social equity, inclusivity, and resilience. The library lays the groundwork for a more connected, equitable, and enduring community future and becomes an active agent of social infrastructure, supporting long-term community wellbeing, resilience, and success.

Green is associated with growth, renewal, balance, and harmony, directly aligning with the goals of social sustainability and community well-being.

Blue symbolizes trust, openness, and tranquility, creating a sense of safety and peace that communicates stability and inclusiveness, and reinforces the library as a trusted social anchor in the community.

These colors are conceptually tied to the future-focused, community-first mission of the library, symbolizing its core values of sustainability in every sense.

48 Sustainability

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Momentum Textiles Micro Jade Recycled Fiber Content, NSF 336 Compliant, GREENGUARD Certif ied

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WolfGordon Tudor City Poseidon HBD, Free of flame-retardant chemicals, lead, phthalates, solvents

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Pallas Textiles Hali Mint Red List Verif ied, SCS Certif ied, Mindful Materials, No Prop 65

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Bernhardt Textiles Emerge Sage SCS Indoor Advantage™ Gold PFAS Free, FR Free

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Materials

5 Momentum Textiles Wool Boucle 512 Off icer Rapidly Renewable Fiber Content, NSF 336 Compliant, GREENGUARD Certif ied

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Interface Flooring Northern Grain 4.5mm Nordic Wash GREENGUARD Gold, HPD, NSF 332

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Interface Flooring Northern Grain 4.5mm Glazed Oak GREENDGUARD Gold, HPD, NSF 332

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FLOR Carpet Tile Tivoli Touch Bone Green Label Plus Certif ied

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Level 01 Reflected Ceiling Plan

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Turf Grille Ceiling Scape Panel Size: 24”W x 48”L Panel Type: G4 Custom Color Match

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Turf Grille Ceiling Scape Panel Size: 24”W x 48”L Panel Type: G4 D004 Washed Ash

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Turf Voronoi Acoustic Ceiling Tile Panel Size: 24”W x 24”L x 4”D 50 Ivory

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Arktura Softspan 48 A Module Size: 8’W x 8’L x 10”D Module Material: 12mm Soft Sound (PET) Caspian

5 Arktura Softspan 48 A Module Size: 8’W x 8’L x 10”D Module Material: 12mm Soft Sound (PET) Custom Color Match

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Level 02 Reflected Ceiling Plan

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Turf Grille Ceiling Scape Panel Size: 24”W x 48”L Panel Type: G4 Custom Color Match

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Turf Grille Ceiling Scape Panel Size: 24”W x 48”L Panel Type: G4 D004 Washed Ash

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Turf Voronoi Acoustic Ceiling Tile Panel Size: 24”W x 24”L x 4”D 50 Ivory

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Arktura Softspan 48 A Module Size: 8’W x 8’L x 10”D Module Material: 12mm Soft Sound (PET) Caspian

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Wayf inding + Signage

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Appendices

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Sources

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Barry Community Foundation. “7 Elements of a Healthy Community.” Www. barrycf.org, 28 Apr. 2023, www.barrycf.org/about/7-elements-of-a-healthycommunity/.

Fournier, M. D., & Ostman, S. (2020). Ask, listen, empower: Grounding your library work in community engagement.

Gehl, J. (1996). Life between buildings : using public space (Third edition.).

Arkitektens Forlag.

Hammock, A., Pandolfelli, G., Samuel, T., Fils-Aimé, P., Grande, M., D’Ambrosion, M., Murphy, M., Kaur, S., Logan, J., Feuerstein-Simon, R., Cannuscio, C., & Benz Scott, L. (2023). Understanding how suburban public librarians respond to the health and social needs of communities. Library & Information Science Research, 45(1), 101217. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.LISR.2022.101217 IVPL. Indian Valley Public Library. Retrieved f rom https://www.ivpl.org/

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Lushington, N., Wolfgang Rudorf, Liliane Wong, Blake, N., & Al, E. (2016). Libraries: A Design Manual. Birkhäuser.

Project for Public Spaces. “What Is Placemaking?” Www.pps.org, www.pps.org/ category/placemaking.

Project for Public Spaces. “What Makes a Successful Place?” Project for Public Spaces, 2009, www.pps.org/article/grplacefeat.

Sullivan, Margaret (2017). Designing community: 10 essential library spaces.

Retrieved f rom https://www.demcointeriors.com/blog/designingcommunity-10-essential-library-spaces/ Whyte, W. H. (1980). The social life of small urban spaces. Conservation Foundation.

Whyte, W. H., & Underhill, P. (2009). City : rediscovering the center (1st ed.).

University of Pennsylvania Press. https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812208344

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