Library Design Experience by RRMM Architects

LIBRARY DESIGN EXPERIENCE

WHO WE ARE

RRMM Architects, PC is an award-winning, full-service architecture, planning and interior design firm with offices in Chesapeake, Richmond, Roanoke, Arlington, Virginia and Rockville, Maryland. Since our founding in 1988, the firm has grown to over 120 employees, and was recognized as the largest architecture-based firm in the Commonwealth by Virginia Business Magazine as well as a 2021 Top Design Firm in the Nation by Engineering News-Record, Architectural Record, as well as Building Design + Construction. Built on the foundation of a broad and dedicated clientele with repeat business exceeding 60 percent, and attaining 40 percent of new clients, RRMM has consistently demonstrated a level of service and design that has earned the trust and respect of clients and peers alike. We ask the right questions and develop a thorough understanding of the client’s needs and goals to set a solid foundation for decision making during the design process. RRMM is committed to our clients’ success and to our mission of creating great places to live,

work, play and learn.

MARKETS

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Libraries/Cultural Facilities Local Government Higher Education K-12 Healthcare Federal Retail Interiors

Architecture Interior Design Programming Feasibility Studies Master Planning Building Information Modeling (BIM) Building Scanning Services Sustainable Design Construction Administration

WHY RRMM ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫

We have five offices located across Virginia and Maryland to provide you with a quick response time. We have been providing high-quality architectural design services for over 33 years. We have recent and relevant experience with library design, whether it be new construction, renovations, additions, facility assessments, or master planning. We embrace the values and priorities of our clients, and we will work together with you to produce successful projects. We design with the end user in mind and strive to create avenues of communication to effectively engage all stakeholders. We have a proven track record of client satisfaction. We are the largest purely architectural firm in Virginia, which allows us to research and select the most appropriate consultants for each project. This means that you will always have the most qualified team of experts working on your facilities. We are committed to not only producing quality projects on time, but also to meeting your budgets.

2021 TOP DESIGN FIRM

JOINT USE LIBRARY // Tidewater Community College and The City of Virginia Beach

WHO WE ARE

30+ YEARS DESIGN EXPERIENCE 50+ LIBRARIES DESIGNED 15+ AWARDS AND HONORS 5+ LEED RATED LIBRARIES

he definition of the library is changing as physical space is re-purposed and virtual space expands.

▫ While the “library as a place” is still important, as printed materials are reduced and space taken by stacks is reduced, the library is being re-purposed to provide space for individual student and collaborative work. ▫ Libraries are expanding their virtual presence through involvement in course management systems and online social networking sites, online tutorials, and other instructional aids.

Technology continues to change services and required skills of both staff and patrons. ▫ Cloud computing, discovery tools, open source software, and social networking tools are affecting academic libraries. The addition of training facilities is one result. Collaborative learning has expanded the need for group project spaces. Digitization of materials has made the use of personal electronic sevices critical in the library environment. Power, wireless networks, and seating choices are all affected. As an integral component of community learning spaces, the library is becoming another type of “site” for learning. ▫ Space needs will include presentation rooms, collaboration spaces, individual study spaces, virtual classrooms, computer labs, and food service facilities, as well as staff space.

Change is inevitable – Flexibility is the key for both layout as well as the infrastructure serving the library.

FENWICK LIBRARY // George Mason University

SILVER SPRING LIBRARY

SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND [NEW CONSTRUCTION] This new, multi-use facility designed by RRMM houses a 65,000 SF library and 20,000 SF of arts space constructed over a new light rail station. It is the centerpiece of a new county complex in Silver Spring that also contains 145 units of housing. This library replaced an existing 20,000 SF facility that could no longer serve this growing community. The new library is a civic beacon and has a glass exterior allowing views both in and out of the facility. The facility is LEED Gold and features green roofs.

“

This striking new library may become the heart and brain of Silver Spring’s downtown. The sleek library is enclosed in glass and filled with plenty of natural light and seating for curling up with a book.” WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE July 2015

BESTNEW

reason to

READ

Washingtonian Magazine

SILVER SPRING LIBRARY

JOINT-USE LIBRARY

TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE + CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH [NEW CONSTRUCTION] The Joint-Use Library was financed by both the City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Community College System. The first joint-use library in Virginia, it is a center of distinction and sustainable integrity. The idea of joint-usage is to build a combined facility that stimulates life-long learning and encourages social interaction as a method of teaching (group study). A primary building goal was to provide superior access to the growing collection of media and books of Tidewater Community College (TCC) and Virginia Beach library systems, provide individual and group study areas with access to TCC and Virginia Beach Public Library (VBPL) staff resources, and to offer access to state-of-the-art electronic media and data available through the internet. An additional goal was to make the project a destination for residents at an early age (through the VBPL children’s collection), young adults and students, families, and elderly, so that all can enjoy the facility’s resources. Two areas of particular attention are the main street circulation spine and the vaulted learning commons and grand reading areas. These spaces have higher volumes to maximize the use of daylighting, provide visual stimulation/ reflection for patrons using the learning commons, and to acoustically zone each area as appropriate to its uses and protect adjacent functions. The floor openings occur along the major circulation spine to enhance wayfinding and optimize the use of natural daylighting. The building is sited so it can expand horizontally by another 50,000 SF if needed in the future.

JOINT-USE LIBRARY

HAYMARKET GAINESVILLE LIBRARY

HAYMARKET, VIRGINIA [NEW CONSTRUCTION] The new facility is a 20,000 SF community library constructed in a residential neighborhood on 6 acres. The site is at the intersection of Route 15, a 4 lane parkway and Lightner Road, a neighborhood street that also accesses an elementary school adjacent to the library site. The site is along the “Journey through Hallowed Ground” from the Civil War and the architectural character of all buildings recalls the NeoGeorgian style. The project also included restoring and incorporating a mid 19 th century “Plantation House” (Bushy Park House) into a composition with the library. The library is a linear, one-story structure set on axis with the Bushy Park house. The composition of the two structures complement each other. The library has a traditional form with a barrel roof covering the spine of the building. A children’s area emerges out of the spine and has its own character, but is integrated into the library so that parents can monitor what their children are doing. The library has a flexible floor plan, incorporates contemporary media, has a public meeting room, and achieved a Silver LEED rating. A special challenge for the project was to restore and incorporate a mid 19th century “Plantation House” into a site composition with the library. This site is a stop on the “historic highway” from Fredericksburg to Gettysburg. The Bushy Park House is only 1,000 SF and is used as an interpretive facility by the County. Another challenge was the integration of the library into a neighborhood that initially resisted its construction as well as connecting the library to an adjacent elementary school. The result of the design was total acceptance by the community.

American Public Works Association’s 2017 PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT OF THE YEAR

OLNEY LIBRARY

OLNEY, MARYLAND [RENOVATION + EXPANSION] Olney Library was originally constructed in 1976 and was too small, not flexible and had an antiquated infrastructure. As a result, RRMM was asked to reprogram and expand the library from 15,000 SF to a 25,000 SF contemporary library. While the initial concept was to add a small amount of space to three sides of the library, it was finally decided to demolish one half of the library and add a significant addition which included a new entry and children’s and young adult areas. Since the library was not easily seen from the street, the County wanted the library to serve as a visual beacon, to introduce significant glass, but also to respect the aesthetic of the original library. The building design captures the original building’s wood expression through the expanded use of glulam wood beams and deck, using a sweeping curve to direct attention to the building from OlneyLaytonsville Road, a heavily traveled arterial road. Departing from the original building, the new Olney Library opens up to the street with its glass-clad children’s room. The materials used hearken back to Olney’s rural heritage, while the dramatic rise of the roofs and clerestory clearly grounds the design in present times. The new library is organized around a circulation spine with the adult area on one side and children and separate young adult area on the other. The library achieved a LEED Gold rating.

MONTCLAIR LIBRARY

PRINCE WILLIAM, VIRGINIA [NEW CONSTRUCTION] RRMM was selected to provide design services for the new, 21,000 SF Montclair Community library and restored historic Barnes House. Both were constructed together forming a civic complex. The site is steeply sloped and adjacent to a commercial shopping area. As a result, parking for 100 cars had to be accommodated in a structure below the library. The garage is sheathed with vegetation to hide the concrete parking structure. The library sits on a concrete plinth and floats among the surrounding trees like a tree house. The folded plate roof structure is separated from the masonry base of the library with a band of glass which, creates the illusion that the roof floats, suspended above the building below. Looking up at the library, the bottom of the roof structure is clad with wood decking. At night, it glows, reinforcing the tree house feel. The library is an open, flexible space where collections are defined by roof forms, some low walls and lots of natural elements connecting the building to its site. Project is LEED Silver and won the American Public Works Association’s Public Works Projects of the Year for 2017. LEED Features: ▫

Green roof vegetation

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Shaded parking spaces

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Low flow water fixtures

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Significant energy cost savings due to highly efficient HVAC systems

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Ninety-five percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills

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A high percentage of local materials were utilized for construction

Innovation Credits: ▫

Exemplary performance for SSc5.2 Site Development – Maximize Open Space

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Exemplary performance for IEQc8.2 Daylight and Views

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Exemplary performance for MRc2 Construction Waste Management

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Systems Furniture and Seating

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Green Building Education

ENGLAND RUN LIBRARY

CHESTERFIELD LIBRARY

KENNETT LIBRARY

EASTERN SHORE LIBRARY

K-12 LIBRARIES

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

HIGH SCHOOLS

AWARDS + HONORS

Virginia Masonry Council Excellence in Masonry Design Award Reston Regional Library E. Boyd Graves Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation Wallace Library Spotsylvania Preservation Foundation for Excellence in New Design Salem Church Library Frederick County Business Development Council & Board of County Commissioners 2002 Economic Development Project of the Year C. Burr Artz Library

Silver Spring Library

Building of America Gold Medal England Run Library US WoodWorks Wood Design Award 2016 Mid-Atlantic Regional Excellence Award Olney Library Renovation Baltimore Chapter USGBC Award for Green Leadership West County Regional Library

Olney Library

Design Arlington Award of Excellence Shirlington Library/Signature Theater Craftmanship Award Germantown Library County Alliance Award Fairfax City Library American Public Works Association’s Public Works Projects of the Year Award for 2017 Montclair and Haymarket Gainesville Libraries

Fairfax City Regional Library

Montgomery County 2016 Design Excellence Award Silver Spring Library

Montclair Library

RRMM is committed to following sustainable design concepts. Our architects and principal engineers use the LEED® rating system checklist on every project. We have been very successful in designing buildings that are energy efficient as well as attractive. In addition, we have won energy awards for several of our buildings including the Encomp Energy Design Award for the UpCounty Government Center located in Montgomery County, Maryland. Our firms experience with LEED projects include: LEED GOLD Rating

LEED SILVER Rating

LEED CERTIFIED

Joint-Use Library Tidewater Community College Virginia Beach, VA

Fenwick Library George Mason University Fairfax, VA

West County Regional Library Odenton, MD

Olney Library Montgomery County, MD

Montclair Library Prince William County, VA

Silver Spring Library Montgomery County, MD

Haymarket Gainesville Library Prince William County, VA

2,341,077 SF CERTIFIED

LEED EXPERTISE

FENWICK LIBRARY // George Mason University

KEITH LEONARD | Principal Library Specialist 571.858.5203 kleonard@rrmm.com

Chesapeake | Richmond | Roanoke | Arlington | Rockville, Maryland www.RRMM.com