BBS Architects completes $6.8 million expansion and redevelopment of 28,000 s/f library; Designed for LEED Silver

BBS Architects, Landscape Architects and Engineers (www.bbsarch.com) has completed an expansion and comprehensive renovation of the Smithtown Main Library. The 28,000 s/f branch is the central library within the Smithtown Special Library District, one of Long Island's largest library systems, which serves 113,000 members. BBS served as the architect, interior designer, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP), and civil engineer for the Smithtown Main Library as well as three other libraries within the district. "The $6.8 million, two-year expansion and renovation of the Smithtown branch was the culmination of BBS' six-year effort to assist the district with obtaining financing for the renovations and designing upgrades at all four branches of the Smithtown library system" said BBS president and lead architect Roger Smith, AIA, LEED AP. "The renovated Smithtown facility is one of the most environmentally-responsible public libraries on Long Island. The building targets LEED Silver certification." In addition to BBS, the project team included the office of Thomas Riley, PE, structural engineer, and T.G. Nickel & Associates, general contractor. All district-wide renovations and expansions were founded through a $21 million library construction bond, approved by local voters in March 2008. Following extensive community consultations, the BBS design team developed a scope of work that obtained the approval of the voters. Architects assisted the district by preparing informational materials for the local residents and organizing presentations prior to the bond vote. The program included renovations and expansions to existing Commack and Kings Park branches and a conversion of an abandoned former federal armory structure into a Nesconset Library and technical services center for the entire district. BBS served as the architect for all renovations throughout the district. Both the township and the residents expressed the desire to preserve the original colonial design and architectural details of the Smithtown library.The voters also voiced the need to expand community facilities within the building.This represented a popular, re-emerging trend of libraries returning to their historical roots by serving the role of not only information access sources but also central hubs of social and community activities.This expansion of roles undertaken by libraries is taking place nationally in both suburban and urban environments. Located at One North Country Rd., the two-story main library was fully renovated and reconfigured, including a new interior layout and HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and fire sprinkler systems. New finishes, mill work, furniture, casework, and lighting created an inviting and fully ADA-accessible environment for library patrons. "The structure received a 6,000 s/f addition that houses a children's section and lower level community rooms. BBS renovated the brick exterior and hip shingle roof with a copula, replaced all windows and entrances, and built a new main entrance canopy and porch," said BBS project manager Gary Schiede, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. "A new outdoor paved patio used for concerts and other events is located on the side of the building facing Main St. Existing old growth ship mast locust trees were left undisturbed on the front lawn. Site work included landscaping improvements and lawn repairs." The addition's structural system includes a steel superstructure and masonry veneer with CFMF back-up framing. The renovated building houses a soaring, two-story-high, 4,000 s/f main stack room with reference and circulation desks, a periodicals room, a new young adult section, a children's room, entrance lobby, offices, support rooms, and bathrooms on the first floor. Following the renovation and expansion, the library's material holdings have increased from 154,000 to 185,000 items, including books, CDs, DVDs, games, and other materials. The main stack room features expansive, arched Palladian windows, murals with historic scenes related to the local area, architectural columns supporting a second floor balcony and extending to the ceiling, custom-built reference and circulation desks, large single and multi-fixture pendant lights, patterned carpet flooring, computer research stations for patrons, and a balcony with ornamental iron handrails that overlooks the main stack room below. Adjacent to the main stack room is a 900 s/f periodicals room located in a space that previously served as a children's room. This section exudes a home-like feeling of a quiet, almost opulent comfort through incorporation of armchairs, a stone-clad fireplace, dark blue walls reminiscent of residential interiors, white crown moldings and two columns with Roman Doric entablatures, pendant lights, and an internal Tudor arch. The decommissioned fireplace features an artificial stone face, a white mill work mantel, and an LED insert that imitates a burning fire. A large portrait of a library benefactor Cornelia Stewart Butler displayed above the mantel reinforces the residential character of this room. The new, nearly 3,000 s/f children's room is located on the first floor of the addition. It houses decorative book stacks, a digital station with four computers, a reference and help desk, and two activities rooms. The young adult room, adjacent to the circulation desk area, features a more modern design intended to appeal to teenage patrons. The reconfigured and expanded lower level includes a new, 3,000 s/f community room with a kitchenette, dividable into two sections; a new, 700 s/f Long Island Room; a reference and help desk; an audio-visual stacks and research area; a quiet study section; computer stations; a conference room; a training room; a learning center; a periodicals storage room; bathrooms; staff offices and break room; and utility rooms. It also houses a small section where patrons can purchase books donated for fundraising purposes. The Richard H. Handley Collection of Long Island Americana, also referred to as the Long Island Room, is a collection of local historical archives. The room incorporates a reading area and a temperature and humidity-controlled artifacts vault. Mary Handley, the widow of a local businessman and Long Island history collector Richard Hockman Handley donated the original archives to the library in 1921. Over the years, the collection has been expanded through gifts from other donors. The room contains a wealth of primary source materials, including original documents, ledgers, journals, personal correspondence, business records, photographs, postcards, maps, manuscripts, and ephemera. The second floor houses a conference room, adult materials stacks, and a reading area with chairs and tables that overlooks the main room. New MEP systems include a multi-zone mechanical system, with rooftop HVAC units that serve the addition, and outside chillers for the main portion of the building. Through design and engineering solutions, the BBS team has converted the Smithtown library into a highly sustainable facility that is 34 percent more energy efficient than a typical baseline code compliant building in New York State. The energy efficiency features at the Smithtown Main Library and the other three renovated branch libraries within the Smithtown Special Library District reduce the energy usage by more than 145,000 kilowatt hours annually, saving the library system approximately $25,000 a year. All perimeter walls received increased thermal insulation and new, low-e windows. The energy-saving lighting system includes high-output T-5 fluorescent fixtures and motion/occupancy sensors. The high-efficiency HVAC system features computer-controlled heating units and chillers. The energy efficient features incorporated into all four renovated libraries of the Smithtown Special Library District reduce the district's energy usage by more than 145,000 kilowatt hours annually. The local power utility, LIPA, awarded the library system more than $42,000 in rebates and $142,000 worth of technical assistance aimed at reducing the energy use. The interiors feature low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) materials and paints, which preserve the quality of indoor air. The majority of new materials, such as steel, carpet, and gypsum board walls, include a high content of recycled ingredients. The bio-based Marmoleum flooring, used in many areas of the building, is one of the greenest floor materials on the market. In addition, nearly all of the demolition debris was sorted, separated, and recycled during the early construction phase. Materials, furniture, and equipment Furniture/casework: * Palmieri Furniture circulation desk and reference desk * Custom-designed, custom-finish end panels by Palmieri Furniture * Reading tables, computer counters, and atlas stand by Opacs * Semi-custom-designed, custom-finish steel shelving by MJ Industries * Jasper Seating Americana wood chairs, custom finish, in the adult section * Jasper Seating Café style reading tables and Avalon wood barstools, natural maple finish in the young adults section * Brodart Horizons reading tables and chairs with custom laser cut-outs and custom staining in the Children's section * Artco-Bell Activity tables and chairs in the children's section; * Hale Manufacturing wood shelving in the periodical/reading room; * Custom-designed, custom-finish staff task chairs by Global Industries; * Graham adult lounge chairs on the balcony. Lighting: * Main room: SPI Lighting Renaissance Collection Acorn chandeliers, SPI Lighting Advent Chatham interior wall sconces in antique brass with traditional trim, SPI Lighting antique brass stack lighting, Neo-Ray Straight & Narrow 23DS direct lights, Corelite Class R2 2x2 and 2x4 fluorescent recessed lights, and Portfolio C7142 horizontal downlights * Young adults room: Focal Point semi-recessed Mondana lights * Childrens' room: Icon International Inc. Prime 23 indirect pendant, custom powder coated paint; and SPI Lighting Options Pendant with dome shield, custom powder coated paint Finishes: * Resilient flooring: Forbo Marmoleum Composition Tile, various colors * Carpet: Milliken and Co. two custom broadloom carpet designs (custom patterns and colors) in the main room and reading Room * Carpet: Shaw Culture Bare Necessities broadloom in stack areas * Carpet: Collins and Aikman In Stitches Cross carpet tile (Childrens' room) * Porcelain and ceramic tile: Daltile * Paint: Benjamin Moore Eco-Spec WB * Wallcovering: Surface Materials Lure Hillside Toile (Main entrance) * Ceiling tile: Armstrong, various styles * Ceiling tile: Cirrus Themes "Things That Fly" (Childrens' room)