Tiverton Public Library - Tiverton, RITiverton, RI At a ceremony held by the American Institute of Architects’ New England Chapter, Union Studio Architecture & Community Design received a Merit Award for the architectural design of the new Tiverton Public Library.
“This award is a significant achievement for the Tiverton Library team,” said Union Studio principal, Douglas Kallfelz, “mainly because it was selected as one of the best examples of institutional architecture among New England design firms working on projects in any country in the world. The team that advocated so passionately to build this special public building in Rhode Island is delighted by this level of recognition.”
Opening in June of 2015 after six years of planning, design, and construction, the library was lauded at its ribbon-cutting as the “crown jewel in the network of libraries across the state of Rhode Island” by the state’s chief of library services. The 24,000 s/f building includes a business center, library, and a variety of gathering and reading spaces. Surrounding the day lit central core of the building are a community meeting hall and café, a dedicated children’s library, teen library, local history room, adult reading areas and exterior public courtyard spaces. The interior design ensures that natural light touches every space. Built to exacting sustainable design standards, the library is achieving its goal of reducing by two-thirds the per s/f energy use compared to their former library facility.
The project team includes: Behan Brothers, Inc. (builder); Odeh Engineers (structural engineer); and The Hickory Consortium (sustainability consultant).