Welcome Guest
Title Sponsor
Review Current Nominations
Recent Nominations
Most Talked About
Grand Orchid Sponsor
People's Choice Sponsor
Event Host Sponsors
Encinitas Community Library
orchid
The new Encinitas Community Library opened its doors to the public in February 2008 after twenty-four months of construction and over a decade in planning. The 26,800 square foot facility sits on a 2.1 acre site commanding beautiful coastal views. The ocean and coastal environment are the architectural themes throughout the facility. This is evident in the shapes of the rooms, materials, and color palette. The shape of the roofline was inspired by a gently breaking wave and the children’s reading nook, a nautilus shell. The massive, curved, wooden glue-lam beams support the roof and are purposely visible from inside the building mimicking ribs of a ship. The glass fronted western wall and open floor plan provide view corridors from almost all areas inside the library. The 2,200 square foot outdoor reading terrace provides unobstructed views across the horizon and the furnishings provide a relaxing place to read, work on your laptop (free wireless Internet service is provided throughout the library) or just sit back and relax. The building was constructed of board-formed concrete and is the color of the hillside soil upon which the library sits. The concrete walls were given a unique wood grain pattern by using 1” x 6” wooden planks placed inside the plywood forms and, when the forms were removed, their texture was imprinted in the concrete. Gaps were purposely left between the forms to create “fins” giving the exterior walls an interesting texture and shadowing effect as the sun progresses across the sky. Environmental considerations and the orientation of the building capitalize upon natural light and ocean breezes. These are incorporated into the lighting and mechanical systems of the structure, and many sustainable materials were utilized in the construction process. The building exceeds California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards and obtained SDG&E’s “Savings by Design” incentive.