Designed for Inclusion
Southeast Library
Southeast Library
Our renovation and underground expansion adapt this historic library for the needs of the contemporary Capitol Hill community. Located in an area that has experienced enormous population growth in recent years, the library needed more space; community members particularly wanted a larger children’s area with more separation from quiet reading spaces.
Due to city historic preservation restrictions and the library’s tight, irregularly shaped site, our solution was to expand downward. The underground expansion more than doubles the space for books, seating, study, and collaboration, while an infill addition replacing a former alley creates a universally accessible new entrance and an elevator serving all levels of the renewed building.
Just want to say great job working with limited space while respecting the historic nature of the building.
A Carnegie Library
The Southeast Library opened on December 8, 1922. It is a Carnegie library—one of over 2,500 libraries worldwide whose construction was funded by a grant from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. We have renewed several Carnegie libraries, including Allegan District Library in Michigan.
Sustainably Designed
As part of the Southeast Library renewal, we’re electrifying the building—it will no longer use fossil fuels in its operations. In addition to the inherent embodied carbon benefits of building reuse, we’ve specified low-carbon materials for the renovation, yielding a 42% reduction in embodied carbon compared to a standard new building of the same size.
An Inclusive Entry
The fully accessible new entry complements the historic entrance with its grand stair. Level with the sidewalk, the new entry opens onto library’s ground floor: now a collaboration zone housing the community computer area and meeting and group study rooms.
Getting Low
This isn’t the first time we’ve created an underground expansion for a historic building; Heritage Hall at the Michigan State Capitol is another example from our portfolio. The key to comfortable underground spaces is natural light, which we’re bringing in through skylights and light wells.
Like a Good Neighbor
Our design preserves the building’s historic character and minimizes light and noise impacts on adjacent residences. It was approved by Washington’s notoriously stringent review boards, including the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, the city’s Historic Preservation Review Board, and the US Commission of Fine Arts.
