Energy as Priority

Monterey County branch library fulfills sustainable goals while bringing the community together.

By Robert Carlsen

Energy efficiency is the goal for the new Marina Branch Library, including the installation of radiant floor heating covering the entire foundation slab.

This 33,000-sq.-ft. building, part of the Monterey County Library system and which will house the administrative offices for the system, will also offer lots of natural light, ample insulation, windows that open and landscaping with drought-tolerant materials.

Designed by Berkeley-based Noll & Tam Architects, the new library will also offer a children's library, periodicals room, general reference, study rooms for adult literacy programs, a large community meeting room, and a homework center.

Noll & Tam Project Manager Alyson Yarus said that with the building's tall ceiling, "We wanted to make sure that no energy is wasted, so we went with the radiant floor.

"We've never done radiant floors at this scale before, so we're very excited to see it work."

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Heating the floor instead of the air, the system is run on "super efficient boilers," said Yarus, who added that the decision to go with the system was Noll & Tam's along with the mechanical engineer, Rumsey Engineers.

Yarus said that another sustainable element is the drainage swales located in the library's parking lot in the plantings between spaces.

According to Steve Locke, president of the general contractor, Tombleson Inc. of Salinas, the library consists of three components: the lobby with a multi-use room, the main library section and offices at the end of the building.
Siting was also an important aspect of the project, according to Yarus. Sitting at the edge and above Locke Paddon Park, the large windows overlook a pond, wetlands, the coastal dunes and Monterey Bay.

The builders also preserved as many of the existing cypress and palm trees on the site as possible.

Its natural color walls, large windows, hipped red tile roofs with low eaves and copper accents complements the site, Noll & Tam said. The building's tall roof creates lofty, light-filled interior spaces and the copper lantern at the peak of the roof will be a beacon for the library and a landmark for the city, the architects added.

The completion date is set for July 2007.

The Project Team

Owner: City of Marina
Architect: Noll & Tam
General Contractor: Tombleson Inc.
Civil Engineer: Monterey Bay Engineers
Structural Engineer: Kenneth R. Hughes
Mechanical Engineer: Rumsey Engineers
Electrical Engineer/Lighting Designer: O'Mahony & Myer
Landscape Architect: Miller Co.
Graphics & Signage
Matthew Williams Design
Cost Estimator: Construction Cost Management Services