In this project, Keystone Library, we were given a base library to build off of. Alongside the steps of this project, we learned the civil engineering principles that went along with it to be able to understand what properties dictated certain decisions of our library's design. We modified the walls, floor, and roof so far. At the beginning of the project, we visited our school's library and spoke with the librarians about their space in the library, what is most important in a library to have and what not to have. They told us about the different things they've liked and disliked in different library spaces, including those of Westwood's. Their input was very valuable because we were able to see the consumer's perspective in a library renovation, because we don't usually get very much detail from our "clients" in what they'd really like to see and what has worked and has not worked for them in the past. So, with their input and civil engineering and architecture principles in mind, I was able to modify the walls, floor, and roof to fit those specifications with my own ideas as well. We eventually completed the project with designing the rooms and layout, and creating different section views, floor plans, area views, and room schedules to submit on this website, our portfolios. I decided to upload mine on a google slides presentation, because it was a lot more compact and easy to organize than just simply uploading the photos. I'm very proud of how my library is as a finished product. When designing it, I was sure to keep in mind the view of the customer and the librarian and how they would use the space.
What I Learned
As a result of this project, I was able to learn a lot more about design and architecture. I was also able to speak to many people about what goes into the design and creation of a library. Beyond the surface level of what library patrons see, there are many regulations that go into space requirements, site regulations, plumbing regulations, etc. I was able to use my own creativity to modify the base design of a library. What I enjoyed most was being able to set up the floor plan, placing the different rooms and setting them up based on traffic flow through the library and organization. I've learned a lot about how to operate the Revit program, which I had limited knowledge about before this project. Overall, I enjoyed this project and I think it helped me to apply the concepts we were learning in class to a situation that could happen in real life as a civil engineer/architect.
Engineering Keystone Library Documents
Planning, Code & Regulations, Floor, and Calculations