not just a book lending library
The next step was to design a pleasant-to-perceive space for residents to meet and spend their free time. This was achieved through two interior atriums, centrally located above each other, and an amphitheater connecting directly to the underground floor. A number of rooms have been arranged in the facility, including an auditorium for nearly 400 people, a wellness center, a children's library, stores and a café.
The library is also a meeting place
© Andrzej Kaczmarek
light-responsive facility
An important consideration for the author was to achieve comfortable lighting with natural light. California is a place that gets a lot of sunlight, especially in summer, and struggles with high temperatures. Therefore, the student designed a kinetic façade and a retractable roof to regulate the amount of light.
According to Andrzej Kaczmarczyk:
The vertical elements visible in the visualizations on the façade are so-called razor blades, which, thanks to the sensors installed in them, respond to the sun's rays, extending or closing, and as a result providing the interior with exactly the amount of light needed at any given time.
energy-producing paving tiles
The library designed by Kaczmarek would use, among other things, solar, geothermal and wind energy, and, interestingly, the energy of the movement of people using the library. The student used a new technology - polymer sidewalk tiles that convert the kinetic energy of steps into electricity. The designer also planned to use triple glazing, which would provide the best insulation for the building. The facility would also collect rainwater.
The library uses various types of renewable energy
© Andrzej Kaczmarek
The award-winning project is a library that is not only a place to borrow books, but more importantly a meeting, recreation and learning center for the local community. Combined with natural lighting and ventilation and ecological energy sources, Andrzej Kaczmarek has created a self-sufficient, zero-energy building. The second ex-aequo prize-winning project belongs to students from Çankaya University in Turkey. Congratulations!
compiled by: Dobrawa Bies
illustrations courtesy of Andrzej Kaczmarek
