Renovated Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library Sets Green Standard for Library
Gone is that cantankerous, 1971 boiler at the old but beloved former Brentwood Branch Library. Goodbye, low ceilings. So long, stale air. The major renovation that gives you the brighter, cleaner Schweitzer Brentwood Branch also sets a new standard for a green Springfield-Greene County Library District.
Dake Wells Architecture designed the use of materials, lighting, landscaping and mechanical system to conserve energy and meet LEED certification standards – that’s
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It represents the best in energy and water conservation, indoor air quality and environmentally friendly, cost-saving buildings.
But what does that look like in practice? At Schweitzer Brentwood, it comes down to five sustainability initiatives. Here’s what creates the library district’s showcase green building.
- Daylighting: More windows introduce more daylight, and workers removed the original ceiling to expose steel trusses and a new, white ceiling – all elements to make the library’s interior taller, brighter and more energy-efficient.
- Energy Efficiency: The library is nearly 30 percent more energy-efficient with the addition of measures such as foam insulation on the underside of the roof; high-performance glass to reduce solar heat and improve thermal performance; daylighting controls; efficient fixtures; occupancy sensor controls and new, highly efficient heating and air conditioning systems.
- Stormwater Management: Three-quarters of the site’s stormwater runoff is directed to “bio-retention swales” and basins that are planted with native/adaptive vegetation, local rock and selected soils. That design helps retain and slow water runoff, solving a street flooding issue. The plants tolerate drought and filter pollutants from the parking lot and drive-up window lane.
- Low/Non-toxic Materials: For everyone’s health, interior materials such as paints, coatings, adhesives and flooring materials reduce concentrations of chemical contaminants.
- Waste Management: Over 90 percent of the construction waste from the library’s renovation was diverted from the landfill. Demolition and construction waste was separated during the construction process for recycling. Steel, wood, drywall, acoustic ceiling tiles, light fixtures, cardboard and other items were either reclaimed to be reused elsewhere or recycled to become new products.
Drop by our greenest Springfield-Greene library soon, and see the difference.
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