Altgeld Gardens Library, Day Care, and Community Space

Project Details

Project Description

KOO is designing a 40,000 square foot multi-use facility that includes a Chicago Public Library, child care center, and community meeting space in the Altgeld Gardens public housing development. Sited at the 'town center' of Altgeld Gardens, the building's curvilinear perimeter echoes the arced forms of the adjacent, mid-century Keck and Keck retail building, the rounded shapes of the existing town center plaza, and the curved streets of the surrounding neighborhood. The masonry exterior follows the material logic of the development and also is a continuous ribbon, intended to be experienced from all sides so there is no front or back to the building. Interior courts create protected, defensible spaces for the users and also allow natural light and ventilation to be available within the wide footprint of the building. This design embodies the client's ongoing strategies to improve non-residential services and amenities within the Altgeld Gardens/Murray Homes community. The library program reflects 21st Century information needs and includes areas for children, teens, and adults with a "YOUmedia" digital lab and maker lab. The program for the child care center was developed with the nonprofit community based organization that will provide much needed services to the family-oriented neighborhood. The building and site design pursues a Gold Certification under LEED Version 4 BD+C through sustainable strategies such as a new storm water management system, heat island reduction, enhanced building commissioning, and many energy conservation measures. The building systems are designed to be 'net-zero ready' and will feature a ground-source geothermal exchange as the main HVAC system. The building envelop exceeds energy code minimum requirements as a critical component of energy reduction. Quality views from all interior spaces exterior areas improve the everyday experiences of the building users, and allow for day lighting to be prominent in most spaces also reducing lighting loads.