WHITE TANK BRANCH LIBRARY & NATURE CENTER
INSPIRED DESIGN:
With a magnificent backdrop of 4,000-foot peaks, the library is a desert oasis nestled in a rugged landscape notorious for its severe summer heat and torrential rainstorms. It’s an environmental statement, complete with a nature center and amphitheater. White Tank’s exterior wall patterns take inspiration from the rock formations nearby. The shades of green color draw from the native Palo Verde trees whose bark is lime green in color.
THOUGHTFUL STEWARDSHIP:
Building on a green field site in nature requires great care and forethought if we are to be great stewards of the environment. This project salvaged many native cacti and trees which were maintained in an on-site nursery and then replanted back on site. The White Tank Branch Library & Nature Center has officially achieved LEED® Platinum certification. It is the first designed LEED Platinum certified public library in Arizona, and one of only three in the United States. It also has the distinction of being the only LEED Platinum certified public library built in a challenging environment.
CREATIVE TEAMWORK:
The owner had a goal to make this project as sustainable as possible. It took the full commitment and integrated teamwork of the owner, the architect, and the contractor to make this the first LEED platinum library in Arizona.
ENDURING COMMITMENT:
This project has a large rooftop solar array that generates over 25% of the buildings annual power. The investment for this was forward thinking and will pay itself back many times over in the years to come reducing the burden on local power infrastructure.
COMPLETION: 2010
SECTOR: COMMUNITY
SIZE: 29,000
DELIVERY METHOD: DESIGN-BUILD
AWARDS:
Library Journal’s New Landmark Libraries, Honorable Mention, 2011
AZRE RED Award, Most Sustainable Project, 2011
