The project: A new 31,000-sf, two-story library with study and meeting rooms and a sensory room, as well as key sustainability features including 129 rooftop solar panels, 42 well geothermal bore field, and natural and energy-efficient lighting.

The goal: Create an affordable but sustainable design that includes solar panels and a geothermal field and serves as a gathering space for the community

Design approach: The Village originally intended to renovate a former church at a downtown location, but site issues forced them to look for a Plan B. This put a strain on the budget immediately, which was compounded by inflation, which led to higher-than-expected bids. The owner had the team value engineer the project, with the caveat that the geothermal field and solar array would be maintained.

Challenge: The geothermal bore field location had to be repositioned to work better with the site. This caused a portion of the field to be fitted around wetlands, the walking trail, and adjacent residences. Solution: IMEG worked with the contractors to find a suitable location that met the design criteria and worked with the existing site conditions.

Challenge: HVAC return in the community room had to be rerouted to reduce noise in the space, as the return location was initially placed too close to the heat pump it serviced, resulting in disruptive noise in the space. Solution: IMEG reviewed and coordinated a solution with the congested plenum space to provide additional return duct length to reduce air noise to acceptable levels.

Outcome: The library has a flexible layout that allows for a variety of uses for all ages and abilities, including community meetings, individualized study, concerts, maker programming, or accessing the library’s collection. The building is fully electric, powered by a solar array on the roof and heated and cooled by a geothermal bore field on the property. This geothermal system, which is partially powered by the rooftop solar array, eliminates the need for a fossil fuel connection to the building, reducing the library’s energy costs and environmental impact.