Just returned from the Library Journal’s 2010 Design Institute in Atlanta, GA where I moderated a panel: Sustainable Libraries with or without LEED. On the panel with me:
We tackled whether or not LEED is “worth it” (yes); will it cost more (upfront, yes; long term – probably not); “must-have” green features (best answer: building owners willing to make the commitment to green the project); and “green” features to skip (showers in libraries to get the LEED point for bike racks and preferred parking spots for hybrid vehicles).
During the “green must-haves” portion of the discussion David Moore took me by surprise when he focused on water conservation. I was expecting everyone to focus on renewable energy (geothermal, solar) or energy efficient options as that is what has been most important here in New York, however, given that the overwhelming majority of the audience was from the South East (Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina) they were acutely attuned to the recent drought. Stories were told of people trying to capture the condensation off the air conditioning tubes for a little extra water and using buckets to capture the water coming out of the shower as it warmed up to a reasonable temperature. David expressed that he would be hard pressed not to incorporate water conservation (rain catchment, gray water recycling for toilets, landscaping etc.) features into future projects.
I’ll share more thoughts from this event this week but just wanted to share a bit about the experience as it is so fresh in my mind this morning!
Great post, Rebekkah. I agree that David’s comments on water conservation really helped to localize the discussion. I’ve been covering Library Journal’s Design Institute for the past several years, and as it moves across the country, it’s been fascinating to see how region-specific issues—from climate, natural resources, and topography to tourism, transportation, and funding—impact the discussions, and how some topics, like community building, education and leadership, and flexibility in design, are repeatedly hit on across the board.
Heads up to you and your readers that a summary of the day’s events just went live this morning and that comprehensive coverage of DI Atlanta (along with a ton of other content relating to sustainable library design)—can be found in our fall 2010 Library by Design supplement, to appear with the 9/15/10 issue of LJ.
Meantime, look out for our spring 2010 LBD supplement, to appear with the 5/15/10 issue of LJ. In it, you’ll find coverage of last year’s Design Institute Dallas, an article on Boston’s grass-roots Storefront Library experiment, retired Fayetteville Public Library Director Louise Schaper’s ten steps to sustainable library operations, individual case studies, roundups of green design trends and new library products and furnishings, and more.