CAMBRIDGE

P U B L I C L IB R A R Y
M A I N B R A NC H
Background and Context

The Cambridge Public Library Main Branch is located in Cambridge,

Massachusetts approximately 3 miles [4.8 km] from downtown
Boston. Cambridge, a city of just over 100,000 people, is known for
its prestigious universities (Harvard and MIT), its vibrant academic
atmosphere, and its diverse population.
The library is located several blocks east of the Harvard University
campus on a site bounded by two busy arterial roads—Broadway to
the southwest and Cambridge Street to the north. The large
Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School sits in close proximity to
the complex on the north and west sides of the site, effectively
screening the library from busy Cambridge Street. To the southwest,
the Main Branch overlooks a 4-acre [1.6 ha] city park.
5.15 Section diagram showing
daylighting through the double-
skin facade of the new building.
WILLIAM RAWN WITH ANN BEHA ARCHITECTS

L O C AT I O N
Cambridge, MA, USA
Latitude 42.4  N
Longitude 71.1  W
5.14 The historic “stone” and new “glass” buildings viewed side-by-side from Joan Lorentz
H E AT I N G D E G R E E D AY S
Park. ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY
5621 base 65  F
The original library building, built in 1889 by Van Brunt and Howe, is [3123 base 18.3  C]
an imposing Richardsonian Romanesque-style structure listed on the
C O O L I N G D E G R E E D AY S
National Register of Historic Places. The interior of the building fea-
2938 base 50  F
tures Depression-era murals and extensive oak paneling. An addition
[1632 base 10  C]
was made to the original building in the 1960s.
By the 1990s, the library was in desperate need of renovation and addi- D E S I G N D R Y- B U L B
tional space. The City of Cambridge undertook a 15-year planning and WINTER (99%)
construction process that culminated in the demolition of the 1960s 12.4  F [210.9  C]
addition, a complete restoration of the 1889 historic building, a dramatic
new addition that more than quadrupled the size of the library complex, D E S I G N D R Y- B U L B &
MEAN COINCIDENT
and a newly landscaped city park. Community involvement, sensitivity
W E T- B U L B S U M M E R ( 1 % )
to the existing building and site landscape, and a desire to welcome the
87.6/71.9  F [30.9/22.2  C]
public into the facility were hallmarks of the design process.
S O L A R R A D I AT I O N
Design Intent and Validation Jan 574 Btu/ft2/day
[1.81 kWh/m2/day]
There were four main objectives for the Cambridge Public Library Jun 1794 Btu/ft2/day
[5.66 kWh/m2/day]
Main Branch project:
• Connecting the buildings to the surrounding site by creating a A N N U A L P R E C I P I TAT I O N
“library in the park.” 43 in. [1092 mm]
318 CASE STUDIES

• Welcoming a diverse population of local citizens into the library. BUILDING TYPE
Library
• Seamlessly connecting the New Building to the Historic Library.
• Celebrating books and reading. AREA
27,200 ft2 [2527 m2] historic
The historic library building was an important piece of the city’s 1889 library restoration
architectural heritage, but the library needed more space than the 76,700 ft2 [7126 m2] new library
historic building provided. The design team responded to this chal- addition
lenge by preserving the historic library intact while adding a large 103,900 ft2 [9653 m2] total library
new building that satisfied program requirements and fulfilled design complex
goals for increased transparency with the community. The two wings
differ dramatically in their architectural language. The new building CLIENT
does not attempt to mimic or duplicate the original structure, though City of Cambridge, Cambridge
it borrows key rhythms and regulating lines. It is a crisp and modern Public Library
glass box, which acts as a counterpoint to the rustic, ornate, and volu-
metrically complex historic building. The two wings sit side-by-side DESIGN TEAM
defining the northern edge of the adjacent park. Architect, William Rawn
Associates
A high degree of transparency and connection with the outdoors was
achieved through the use of a double-skin curtainwall on the main, Associate Architect, Ann Beha
southwest-facing facade. The design team considered numerous North Architects
American and European buildings with double envelopes to deter- Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing/
mine the correct combination of features and components that would Fire Protection Engineer,
allow the facade to perform as many functions as possible. Ultimately, Vanderweil Engineers
three characteristics—a deep cavity space, a multi-story cavity, and Structural Engineer, Le Messurier
shading within the cavity—were identified as the most appropriate Consulting Engineers
traits for daylighting, thermal comfort, thermal insulation, solar shad-
ing, passive solar heating, visual transparency, and natural ventilation. Landscape Architect, Michael
Validation for this approach came from observing buildings-in-use Van Valkenburgh Associates
that employed similar facade systems as well as computational fluid Facade Engineer, Arup Facade
dynamics (CFD) modeling by Arup during the design process. Engineering, London
General Contractor, Consigli
JF/White
Curtainwall Fabricator, Josef
Gartner GmbH

COMPLETION
November 2009

PERFORMANCE METRICS
Energy Utilization Index (EUI):
Not Available
Carbon Emissions:
Not Available
Water Use:
Not Available

5.16 Patron seating zone adjacent to the double envelope facade. ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY

The connection between the new and old buildings was also critical
for the design team. William Rawn Associates worked closely with
Ann Beha Architects, the designers responsible for the restoration of
 CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY MAIN BRANCH 319

the Historic Library building, to create a subtle physical connection

between the old and new wings. A scheme was devised by which the
floor plan for the new building was divided into four “bars,” or pro-
grammatic zones. The first zone nearest the double-skin facade was
for patron seating; the second zone was for book stacks; the third
zone was for circulation, service desks, and connection to the old
building; and the fourth zone was for offices and more-enclosed
spaces. Teen areas and public computers were placed in the old
building, which guaranteed that patrons would actively use the
Historic Library. The program layout in the new building places the
most open spaces closest to the double-skin facade on the south side
of the building for optimal access to views and daylight. Indirect day-
light is also introduced into the north-facing Archive Room and
Children’s Program Room.
From the very beginning of the planning and design process, the
Director of the Library mandated that the renovation and addition
“celebrate the book.” Unlike some recent libraries that have focused
on being community centers, the Main Branch was to be focused on
reading. Books are visible everywhere in the buildings, which the
library felt was appropriate given the intellectual and immigrant
populations living in Cambridge.

5.17 Site plan showing the Main Branch in relation to the city park and the Cambridge
Rindge and Latin High School. WILLIAM RAWN WITH ANN BEHA ARCHITECTS

Strategies 5.18 The double-skin glass

facade allows for a high degree
The most prominent feature of the new building is the elaborate dou- of transparency between the
ble envelope. This facade system is a key component in a complex library and the adjacent public
environmental control strategy for the building that includes natural park. WILLIAM RAWN WITH ANN BEHA
ventilation, passive solar heating, daylighting, thermal insulation, and ARCHITECTS
320 CASE STUDIES

optimized energy efficiency. This—combined with the adaptive reuse

of the Historic Library and the site-sensitive belowground location of
the garage and stormwater cistern—produced a library complex that
carefully responds to its urban context and orientation.
Site. The relationship between the library and the adjacent city park
was an important component of the design process. Wherever poss-
ible, the design team chose to lessen the impact of the construction
on the landscape. A parking garage was buried beneath the park,
which eliminated surface parking, reduced the heat island effect and
stormwater runoff from paved surfaces, and protected two large
European Beech trees and a large Weeping Willow tree. A large
350,000-gallon [1,324,900 L] cistern was also buried beneath the
park. The tank is part of a stormwater catchment system that serves a
3-square mile [7.8 square km] section of Cambridge. The new build-
ing was carefully located in the northeast corner of the site, previ-
ously occupied by a parking lot, which allowed 4 acres [1.6 ha] of
park space to be retained in front of the library complex.
Double envelope. The centerpiece of the new building is the 180-ft
[55 m] long double-skin curtainwall on the southwest facade. This
was the first application of a double wall facade system on a public
library in the United States and the first to combine all three primary
features of European double envelope technology: a 3-ft [0.9 m] cav-
ity space; a 45-ft [13.7 m] height; and automated 12-in. [305 mm]
deep microperforated, horizontal shading louvers within the cavity
space. The facade provides a high degree of transparency, allowing
views to the city park from the building and views deep into the
building from the city park. Horizontal tinted glass “visors” provide
shading for segments of the facade where mechanized shades would
have negatively impacted views. Single-pane, low-iron glazing was
used for the outer layer of the double-skin and double-pane; low-
iron, low-emissivity (low-ε) coated insulated glazing units (IGU) were
used for the inner layer of the double skin.

5.19 The double-skin facade shown in winter mode (left) and summer mode (right). WILLIAM
RAWN WITH ANN BEHA ARCHITECTS
5.20 The double envelope
showing the two facade shading
Natural ventilation. Operable windows on the inner side of the dou- devices: external horizontal
ble envelope facade allow occupants some personal control of ther- “visors” and automated louvers
mal conditions. This configuration offered two key advantages to the within the cavity space. ROBERT
design team: Insect screens were unnecessary (which had BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY
 CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY MAIN BRANCH 321

maintenance benefits) and tighter security to prevent book theft

through windows was possible. In the historic building, existing win-
dow sashes were repaired, weatherstripped, and fitted with new
storm windows, which improved thermal performance while still
allowing for operable sashes for natural ventilation. In the stack wing
of the historic building, existing windows were replaced with custom
wood-framed, insulated glass units.
Solar control and passive solar heating. While the all-glass south-
west elevation of the new building creates a high degree of transpar-
ency between the library and the city park and offers opportunities
for passive solar heating in cold months, the design team had to find
ways to limit excessive solar heat gain in warmer months and glare
from changing daily sun angles. The double-skin facade system is
intended to operate in two seasonal modes: Operable dampers at the
bottom and top of the cavity are open in the summer to permit airflow
(when temperatures can reach 90  F [32  C]) or closed in the winter
to restrict airflow. The design assumes that air trapped within the
cavity space in winter mode will act as a thermal buffer between
the exterior and the interior of the building and that airflow within the
cavity in summer mode will remove excess heat through stack venti-
lation to keep the inner layer of glazing cool. Two types of shading
devices were incorporated into the facade: Fixed horizontal devices,
or “visors,” were attached to the exterior of the outer layer of glazing
and automated horizontal louvers were installed within the cavity
space. The fixed devices, placed approximately 8 ft [2.4 m] above
floor level allow for unobstructed views through the facade. Louvers,
which rotate once daily to respond to low sun angles, are placed
between the fixed devices and the ceiling on each level.

5.21 Axonometric model illustrating the movement of air within the double-skin facade cavity
space in winter mode (left) and summer mode (right). WILLIAM RAWN WITH ANN BEHA ARCHITECTS
322 CASE STUDIES

Daylighting. The design team was able to daylight 90% of the inte-
rior spaces at the Main Branch. In the Historic Library building, win-
dows were repaired, replaced, and uncovered through the
restoration process and the demolition of the 1960s addition.
In the new building, windows on the north elevation, skylights
above the circulation zone, and extensive glazing on the south eleva-
tion flood the interior with daylight. These daylighting strategies
reduce the need for electric lighting and help to conserve energy.
Fixed and operable shading devices were incorporated into the dou-
ble-skin facade in an effort to control, modulate, and redirect day-
light on the south side of the building. The fixed external “visors”
consist of a sheet of white PVC laminated between two layers of
glass. The result is a glass shading device that compliments the all-
glass facade, yet is intended to block solar radiation from entering
the interior spaces. In lieu of a sophisticated solar-tracking system to
adjust the louvers within the cavity, the design team chose a simple
system that rotates the position of the louvers once per day accord-
ing to seasonal settings for sun angles. Microperforated blades are
intended to allow some light transmission (reducing hard shadow
lines) and to function as light shelves by redirecting light upward
onto white interior ceilings.
Resource conservation. The Cambridge Public Library Main Branch
incorporates a number of features to conserve resources. Low-flow
plumbing fixtures were used throughout the facility to reduce water
consumption. Enhanced building commissioning helped to ensure
that building systems performed as intended. The double-skin facade
is expected to lose 50% less heat per unit area than a conventional
curtainwall facade system. Daylight sensors reduce electricity usage
for interior lighting. A large cistern captures stormwater from the site
and the surrounding Cambridge neighborhoods, which substantially
reduces the burden on the municipal stormwater system during
severe rain events and extends the positive environmental impact of
the project beyond the site boundaries.
Green roofs. A 33,000 ft2 [3066 m2] intensive green roof covers the
underground parking garage. The 4 ft [1.2 m] depth of cover medium
allows for tree planting. The garage is essentially invisible beneath
the park.
Adaptive reuse. The Historic Library building was restored and
reused as part of the expanded library complex, which saved mate-
rial resources but also protected an important historic landmark for
the city. The overall approach was to remove any ad hoc additions
and furnishings inside and outside the building and to incorporate
modern services and systems as discretely and as invisibly as poss-
ible. On the exterior of the building, the brownstone masonry was
cleaned and repointed, but the slate roof and copper flashing were
replaced. The west facade was uncovered when the 1967 addition to 5.22 Installation of fixed
the original building was demolished. Where possible, the design horizontal shading “visors” on
team cleaned and reused the existing materials. Some stone and the exterior of the double-skin
wood trim had to be recreated. Because the stone quarries that pro- facade. WILLIAM RAWN WITH ANN BEHA
vided the stone for the 1889 building were no longer in operation, ARCHITECTS
 CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY MAIN BRANCH 323

much of the new stone came from unlikely sources such as highway
construction sites and from hidden stonework within the historic
building. The main entrance to the library complex was moved to the
new building and the original entry porch on the historic building
was closed-in with glass to create a conference room and the stone
steps were transformed into an outdoor seating area. Interior
finishes, such as oak woodwork and lighting fixtures, were carefully
restored or protected. Spaces within the old building were repur-
posed for a Young Adults Room and Lounge, a reading room, and a
public internet access area. Wall murals painted in 1934 as part of
the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and depicting the 10 divi-
sions of knowledge that make up the Dewey Decimal System were
carefully protected during the construction process and then
restored.
Materials. Low VOC paints, carpets, and adhesives were used
throughout the library. Bamboo flooring was used in the Young
Adults Room and Lounge in the historic building. Materials were
specified and sourced to pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled
content. The combined recycled content as a percentage of the over-
all materials cost was nearly 21% as documented in LEED certifica-
tion reports. Air-conditioning systems use CFC-free refrigerants.
Vermont red slate, a historically accurate and durable local material
sourced from within New England, was used for the reroofing of the
historic building. During the construction process, 95% of waste was
diverted from landfills.
Alternative transportation. The library has ample access to public
transportation: Five bus routes run past the site and two subway sta-
tions are within a 2/3-mile [1 km] walk. The library encourages staff
and patrons to ride bikes to the complex. A dedicated bicycle lane
along Broadway provides easy bike access and the library has ample
bike racks for secure storage. Staff has access to showers and locker
space. The belowground garage (connected to the library via a tun-
nel) was kept as small as possible (70 spaces) and provides parking
spaces for alternative fuel vehicles.

How Is It Working?

The Cambridge Public Library Main Branch has been a popular des-
tination for citizens. An average of 2000 people visit the facility daily,
of which 80 patrons come specifically to use the wireless internet.
The library estimates that circulation is up 65%, computer use is up
55%, and library card registrations are up 63% in the 8 months since
the building opened. Placing spaces for teens and computer use in
the Historic Library has given the old building new life.
The City of Cambridge has a long-standing commitment to green
and LEED-certified buildings. The Main Branch project is pursuing a
LEED-NC 2.2 certification through the US Green Building Council. A
post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of the building-in-use has not been
performed to date.