Transparency and luminosity underscore this new two-story library in Washington, D.C.'s southwest neighborhood of Anacostia. Designed to serve the community day and night, the building connects to the landscape and employs multiple sustainable building strategies including a passive daylight-management system. A large overhang on the south façade, a baffled skylight, an east-facing clerestory, and an exterior shade scrim on the west curtainwall contribute to the naturally illuminated interiors. Tight budget and energy allowances called for T8 lamping in the electric lighting. These lights are zoned to balance with the available daylight, so that the luminaires remain off during the majority of daylight hours. This results in an estimated 50 percent power savings over an equivalent lighting system. As a luminous beacon that creates a new gathering place, the Anacostia Neighborhood Library celebrates the power that design can have in transforming an urban community and its long-term growth.
Jury Comments: A striking coming together of architecture and light. • A successful balance of multiple design elements.
