Eastham Public Library

This new Cape Cod library, situated on a hillside site overlooking one of the town’s many ponds, replaces a 1980’s building that no longer met the demands of a growing community, nor a population that dramatically increases each year during the busy summer months. The project preserves and enhances the original one-room library building dating to 1898, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The new building, partially funded through a 2011 construction grant by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, respects the small historic structure, which serves as a headpiece to a new library building sensitively placed to the rear of the site and scaled to minimize its impact on the historic structure.

The majority of building program – lobby, multipurpose community room, circulation desk, adult reading room and stacks – is located on the upper level, arranged around a central reading garden, and takes full advantage of the dramatic pond views. The lower level houses the children and young adult areas, with direct access to an outdoor program area. The building maximizes flexibility of use, both during normal library hours as well as during off-hour community use, and promotes adaptability to future program changes, at the same time incorporating the latest green building technologies. The project has received a LEED Gold rating from the US Green Building Council.