New branch library, approved as part of Better Denver Bond program, expected to be complete by spring 2011
City Councilman Michael Hancock, Denver Public Library leaders, and representatives of the Green Valley Ranch Branch Library project kicked off construction of the new branch library on March 13, 2010. The groundbreaking was held at the site of the new library at 4856 North Andes Ct., a few blocks east of Tower Road. Over 65 community members and library supporters listened to remarks by officials and enjoyed a reception to celebrate the progress and promise of the new facility.
The $11.4 million branch library, funded through the voter-approved Better Denver Bond Program, will provide much-needed library services to the Green Valley Ranch and Gateway neighborhoods, which have lacked a nearby Denver Public Library. The facility is envisioned as a community anchor and location for learning and networking, and will be built on a two-acre site adjacent to the Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center. Construction is starting this spring and completion is targeted for spring 2011.
The latest in library technology is being incorporated into the new building, including:
- wireless computer access
- customer self-check capabilities
- automated material handling
Green Valley Ranch Branch also will feature public-use computers, small study rooms, a community room for meetings and programs, a large family area and a fireplace-anchored area for adults. A xeric garden located on the south side of the library will offer outside views and spaces for respite.
Designated a “Children’s and Family Style” Library, this library will boast:
- A variety of materials (books, movies and music) to meet the needs of families
- Shared spaces for parents and children, to use computers and find materials
- "Discovery pods" to facilitate interactive activities and shared learning experiences
The 26,000 square-foot, steel-framed building is being built using sustainable construction concepts under the Greenprint Denver plan, and is designed to receive LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The building will be energy efficient, make plentiful use of natural daylighting, have low water use plumbing fixtures and landscape plantings, and will be built to readily accommodate the possibility of a future photovoltaic array.
Uniquely, this building’s design captures aspects of its setting: the plains landscape and aviation influences of nearby DIA. The building’s roof has an aerodynamic form and structural detailing derived from early aircraft design, and its shape echoes the long lines created by dry-land agriculture that is part of the heritage of this area of the city.
Better Denver Bond is also funding the construction of branch libraries to serve Denver’s Stapleton neighborhood and a new location in the western part of the city in the coming years.
Sustainability
Making the new Green Valley Ranch Branch Library “Green”
The new 26,000-square-foot, steel-framed building is being built incorporating sustainable design elements and construction concepts outlined under the City of Denver’s Greenprint Denver plan. The library building is designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), is a building rating system that provides world-recognized standards for sustainable design, construction and operation. Certification is obtained through a third-party, independent commissioning and verification process.
Green Valley Ranch Branch Library building will:
- have energy efficient mechanical, electrical and wall insulation systems that will reduce building energy use by roughly 60% as compared to similar facilities
- be water efficient; incorporating “low flow” plumbing fixtures in restrooms and break rooms, and using low water-need xeriscape plant materials in landscaping
- be oriented on the site so as to maximize the use of natural daylighting within the building, to reduce lighting and energy use, and enhance indoor aesthetics
- use various renewable and recycled content materials and finishes throughout
- be “photovoltaic-ready”, with the necessary rough-ins being provided now to accommodate a future array of photovoltaic panels