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La Conner Swinomish Library
La Conner Swinomish Library
La Conner, WA, United States
Project Featured on Apr 30, 2024
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La Conner Swinomish Library
La Conner, WA, United States
Project Featured on Apr 30, 2024
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2022
SIZE
5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft
BUDGET
$1M - 5M
The La Conner Swinomish Library is a unique example of collaboration between native and non-native groups, which have historically been largely separate from each other. Designed by the Seattle-based architecture firm BuildingWork, the new library reflects and honors the many contributions of the neighboring Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and demonstrates BuildingWork’s vision of architecture as an opportunity to layer use and meaning in its surroundings.
Located in Washington’s Skagit County, La Conner is a small, maritime town that dates from the 1860s. When its outdated library needed replacing, the La Conner Regional Library District selected BuildingWork to design a new structure on a tight, 10,500-square-foot lot in the town’s central historic district. Impressed by the firm’s portfolio of people-driven projects including libraries and adaptive reuse, the district looked to BuildingWork to drive the design and functionality of the new library.
“Rather than start a project using our own architectural language, we try to begin without preconceptions and discover the expression as we go,” said Matt Aalfs, AIA, Principal Architect and BuildingWork founder. “We take time to understand the physical, cultural, and historic context in order to meet the needs of a community. That’s why every library we design is different from our last.”
During the process, the library formed a project-altering partnership with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, resulting in the tribe becoming heavily involved in the project and one of its largest benefactors. “In the development and funding phase, the library approached the tribe. We decided that there was a common interest in constructing a new library that would attract Native kids and support and enhance their education,” Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Senator Brian Wilbur explained.
Although the town of La Conner and the Swinomish reservation are physically adjacent, they have been separated by history, culture, and the complex legacies of settler colonialism. To represent La Conner and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community coming together, the new library was renamed the La Conner Swinomish Library. Furthermore, a tribal member took a seat on the library’s board of directors and BuildingWork’s initial design for the new library was revised to honor the unique partnership between the town and the tribe. “Our new library truly reflects the heart and soul of our community. We are honored to have the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community as our key partner in this effort,” said Susan Macek, La Conner Library Foundation Director.
Approach
Strict historic district design guidelines governed the architectural character of the new library. To develop an authentic response to the historic context, BuildingWork began by studying the town’s history and conducting a photographic survey of its significant stock of historic commercial buildings. The architects looked for building patterns to draw upon in the design of the new library, seeking ways to respond with sensitivity to the historic context while designing a contemporary civic building for the community.
BuildingWork’s research found that La Conner’s historic buildings are relatively small in footprint and consist of compact, small-scale masses. Typical of mid-to-late 19th-century commercial buildings on the west coast, they also feature vertically proportioned windows, projecting bay windows, wood cladding, recessed entries, and decorative cornices. The architects reinterpreted these building patterns in the library design, creating a new civic building that references its historic context in an honest way while meeting the requirements of a contemporary public library.
Design
Located on the main street that leads into town, the new library features a monumental corner bay window oriented toward a key intersection. Framed in steel, and with floor-to-ceiling glass, the bay window is a contemporary element that speaks to both old and new. BuildingWork designed the feature to provide transparency into the warm reading room beyond as well as views of the main street from within—an inviting gesture positioned toward those driving through town.
At the library’s entrance stands a traditional story pole designed and crafted specifically for the new library by Swinomish elder and master carver Kevin Paul and his son-in-law Camas Logue (Klamath-Modoc). BuildingWork worked with Kevin Paul to modify the design of the library in order to integrate the art piece and its cultural expression into the project, reshaping part of the building to effectively frame the story pole and incorporating its exact paint colors into the building facade. The hand-carved, 18-foot tall cedar story pole has carved iconography from Coast Salish culture which Kevin Paul selected for the library.
“This story pole has three traditional figures: at the base is a Salish person wearing a cedar bark hat with hands outstretched in welcoming; in the middle are two circling salmon which represent sharing of resources; and at the top is an eagle which represents guidance and wisdom,” Swinomish elder and master carver Kevin Paul explained. “So the story pole shows that the library is a place for people to come together, to find guidance and knowledge, and everyone is welcome.”
BuildingWork made use of the remaining portions of the cedar log that the story pole was carved from— the library’s circulation desk is made of cedar planks, as are the display shelves in the Meeting Room and a custom bench created by local woodworker, Stuart Welch. The use of wood is prevalent throughout, with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) used for the entire structure of the building. Fully exposed in the library’s interior, the CLT creates a warm and inviting environment. The CLT panels were manufactured in Washington State using locally sourced douglas fir lumber. The innovative, sustainable, carbon-sequestering material contributes to the project’s LEED Silver Certification.
“The La Conner Swinomish Library may be one of the first publicly funded buildings to utilize CLT for the entire building structure, and this project demonstrates what this emerging construction technology can do,” said Matt Aalfs. “Once the CLT panels were on site, the entire building went up in about three days, just a fraction of the time needed for standard wood frame construction. And when you’re inside, you see this beautiful wooden material all around you—it defines the visitor experience.”
The library program offers a range of spaces and services, including dedicated reading areas for children, teens, and adults, a large meeting room, public access computers, and staff work areas. BuildingWork designed a 24-foot-long custom tugboat in the children's area to honor La Conner’s maritime past and define the space from the rest of the open reading room. The interior of the tugboat houses books and several kid-sized reading nooks. As a gesture of learning and inclusiveness, BuildingWork designed the interior library signage in four languages: English, Spanish, Braille, and Lushootseed, which is the written language of the Swinomish and other Coast Salish people.
“When there are common interests and goals, native and non-native communities can find ways to work together and build relationships that help each other grow,” said Brian Wilbur. “That is what Swinomish and La Conner did with the construction of this library and our communities have grown closer because of it.”
Made possible through the collaboration of The La Conner Regional Library and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, BuildingWork’s design honors La Conner’s rich history, meets the needs of local residents of all ages and represents an inspiring partnership between two communities.
Located in Washington’s Skagit County, La Conner is a small, maritime town that dates from the 1860s. When its outdated library needed replacing, the La Conner Regional Library District selected BuildingWork to design a new structure on a tight, 10,500-square-foot lot in the town’s central historic district. Impressed by the firm’s portfolio of people-driven projects including libraries and adaptive reuse, the district looked to BuildingWork to drive the design and functionality of the new library.
“Rather than start a project using our own architectural language, we try to begin without preconceptions and discover the expression as we go,” said Matt Aalfs, AIA, Principal Architect and BuildingWork founder. “We take time to understand the physical, cultural, and historic context in order to meet the needs of a community. That’s why every library we design is different from our last.”
During the process, the library formed a project-altering partnership with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, resulting in the tribe becoming heavily involved in the project and one of its largest benefactors. “In the development and funding phase, the library approached the tribe. We decided that there was a common interest in constructing a new library that would attract Native kids and support and enhance their education,” Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Senator Brian Wilbur explained.
Although the town of La Conner and the Swinomish reservation are physically adjacent, they have been separated by history, culture, and the complex legacies of settler colonialism. To represent La Conner and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community coming together, the new library was renamed the La Conner Swinomish Library. Furthermore, a tribal member took a seat on the library’s board of directors and BuildingWork’s initial design for the new library was revised to honor the unique partnership between the town and the tribe. “Our new library truly reflects the heart and soul of our community. We are honored to have the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community as our key partner in this effort,” said Susan Macek, La Conner Library Foundation Director.
Approach
Strict historic district design guidelines governed the architectural character of the new library. To develop an authentic response to the historic context, BuildingWork began by studying the town’s history and conducting a photographic survey of its significant stock of historic commercial buildings. The architects looked for building patterns to draw upon in the design of the new library, seeking ways to respond with sensitivity to the historic context while designing a contemporary civic building for the community.
BuildingWork’s research found that La Conner’s historic buildings are relatively small in footprint and consist of compact, small-scale masses. Typical of mid-to-late 19th-century commercial buildings on the west coast, they also feature vertically proportioned windows, projecting bay windows, wood cladding, recessed entries, and decorative cornices. The architects reinterpreted these building patterns in the library design, creating a new civic building that references its historic context in an honest way while meeting the requirements of a contemporary public library.
Design
Located on the main street that leads into town, the new library features a monumental corner bay window oriented toward a key intersection. Framed in steel, and with floor-to-ceiling glass, the bay window is a contemporary element that speaks to both old and new. BuildingWork designed the feature to provide transparency into the warm reading room beyond as well as views of the main street from within—an inviting gesture positioned toward those driving through town.
At the library’s entrance stands a traditional story pole designed and crafted specifically for the new library by Swinomish elder and master carver Kevin Paul and his son-in-law Camas Logue (Klamath-Modoc). BuildingWork worked with Kevin Paul to modify the design of the library in order to integrate the art piece and its cultural expression into the project, reshaping part of the building to effectively frame the story pole and incorporating its exact paint colors into the building facade. The hand-carved, 18-foot tall cedar story pole has carved iconography from Coast Salish culture which Kevin Paul selected for the library.
“This story pole has three traditional figures: at the base is a Salish person wearing a cedar bark hat with hands outstretched in welcoming; in the middle are two circling salmon which represent sharing of resources; and at the top is an eagle which represents guidance and wisdom,” Swinomish elder and master carver Kevin Paul explained. “So the story pole shows that the library is a place for people to come together, to find guidance and knowledge, and everyone is welcome.”
BuildingWork made use of the remaining portions of the cedar log that the story pole was carved from— the library’s circulation desk is made of cedar planks, as are the display shelves in the Meeting Room and a custom bench created by local woodworker, Stuart Welch. The use of wood is prevalent throughout, with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) used for the entire structure of the building. Fully exposed in the library’s interior, the CLT creates a warm and inviting environment. The CLT panels were manufactured in Washington State using locally sourced douglas fir lumber. The innovative, sustainable, carbon-sequestering material contributes to the project’s LEED Silver Certification.
“The La Conner Swinomish Library may be one of the first publicly funded buildings to utilize CLT for the entire building structure, and this project demonstrates what this emerging construction technology can do,” said Matt Aalfs. “Once the CLT panels were on site, the entire building went up in about three days, just a fraction of the time needed for standard wood frame construction. And when you’re inside, you see this beautiful wooden material all around you—it defines the visitor experience.”
The library program offers a range of spaces and services, including dedicated reading areas for children, teens, and adults, a large meeting room, public access computers, and staff work areas. BuildingWork designed a 24-foot-long custom tugboat in the children's area to honor La Conner’s maritime past and define the space from the rest of the open reading room. The interior of the tugboat houses books and several kid-sized reading nooks. As a gesture of learning and inclusiveness, BuildingWork designed the interior library signage in four languages: English, Spanish, Braille, and Lushootseed, which is the written language of the Swinomish and other Coast Salish people.
“When there are common interests and goals, native and non-native communities can find ways to work together and build relationships that help each other grow,” said Brian Wilbur. “That is what Swinomish and La Conner did with the construction of this library and our communities have grown closer because of it.”
Made possible through the collaboration of The La Conner Regional Library and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, BuildingWork’s design honors La Conner’s rich history, meets the needs of local residents of all ages and represents an inspiring partnership between two communities.
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