A Space for the Community
Libraries hold a special place within communities enriching the lives of the surrounding residents. They are places that foster a love of learning, promote literacy, bridge digital gaps, and act as community anchors that support the personal and intellectual growth of individuals from all walks of life. As the Middletown, Delaware, community continued to grow, New Castle County realized that it needed a library to better serve the communityâs needs now and in the future. They turned to Wohslen Construction, who had worked with them on seven libraries within the county, to construct a space that promotes literacy, learning, and collaboration for area residents. The new Appoquinimink Library fulfills everything New Castle County wanted from the building and more by serving the local community with spaces to gather and offer community services.
A Library for Everyone
The Appoquinimink Library combines familiar library services with state-of-the-art technology that appeals to New Castle County residents of all ages. The one-story, 26,100 sq. ft. building features an open floor plan with 30-foot vaulted ceilings. At the entrance is a welcome/circulation desk that serves as the gateway into the main areas of the library. To appeal to the youngest county residents, the library features a kidâs exploration space with interactive play areas for both children and toddlers. At the center of the space is a custom âSpark Wallâ installation with colorful drawers, cabinets, and cubbies, each containing various toys, books, and activities for children to explore. With a focus on bringing the latest technology to the Middletown community, the Appoquinimink Library also features a maker space with state-of-the-art laser cutters, 3D printers, and computerized vinyl cutters. A first for a Delaware library system, there is also a multi-media production area with a video production studio, recording studio, and a media lab. Other areas within the building include meeting rooms, a multi-purpose community room, gallery space, book storage, an office, and numerous computer stations.
Mechanical Rooms: BIM Modeling Layer by Layer
To maximize the amount of usable library space, the mechanical rooms for the Appoquinimink Library were intentionally designed to be very small. This meant that the space within the mechanical rooms needed to be maximized so that several different and critical systems would fit within the rooms. The Wohlsen team heavily relied upon Building Information Modeling (BIM) to get everything to fit within the small spaces and fit correctly. To preplan how the rooms would be built before any shovels hit the ground, the Wohlsen team hosted numerous meetings over a four-month-long review process. Over ten contractors participated in these meetings to review each mechanical roomâs specifics and how the equipment would be laid out. BIM was then done layer by layer to allow the team to catch and mitigate potential clashes or collisions of the various systems housed within the mechanical rooms. By resolving these clashes in the virtual environment before construction even began, the team could streamline the construction process, reduce potential errors, and keep the project on schedule.
Focusing on LEED Silver
New Castle County was focused on creating a library building that was better, more efficient, and healthier for residents. With this focus in mind, the building featured various sustainable and green design choices and construction elements that helped it stand out as an environmentally friendly building. Within the building, low-flow plumbing fixtures and high-efficiently lighting were installed to reduce water and electricity usage. The library was designed to have as many windows as possible and featured sculpted roof monitors and clerestory windows to harvest as much daylight as possible. Furnishings within the building were locally sourced and featured low-volatile organic compounds that were less harmful to library visitors and the environment. On the libraryâs exterior, photovoltaic (PV) panels were installed on the rooftop to convert sunlight into energy for the building. Native plants were also selected for the landscaping, eliminating the need for an irrigation system. All these elements and more allowed the new Appoquinimink Library to pursue LEED Silver certification, making it stand out as one of the most environmentally friend buildings within the county.
