2021 Sustainable Innovation Awards - Project of the Year
Honor: Health and Wellbeing Award Long Beach’s new Billie Jean King Memorial Library replaces an older library from 1977 with an open plan timber structure adjacent to park space and the LA Metro Blue Line. The City of Long Beach formed a P3 with architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to embed sustainability and community principles into the design from initial conception of the project in 2014 up through completion. Design & Sustainability Features:
• Exposed timber superstructure with captivating display of girders, joists, and plywood decking
• Unitized curtain wall system maximizes daylight and views while mitigating solar glare
• Passive lighting and temperature regulation measures reduce energy expenditures
• Atrium space and several large meeting rooms provide flexible community event spaces
• One entrance is accessed from the street to the north, a second entrance is accessed from the park to the south
• Building’s timber overhang provides shaded outdoor area where visitors are invited to linger
• Park landscaping contains California native plants that are drought tolerant
• Easily accessible by transit (off the LA Metro Blue Line)
More on the project achievements:
http://www.gbig.org/buildings/1057757