Marina Branch Library

This new building houses the administrative offices for the Monterey County Library system and a new Marina Branch Library. In addition to a children’s library, periodicals room, and general reference area, the new library provides study rooms for adult literacy programs, a large community meeting room, and a homework center. The building sits at the edge of a public park, overlooking a pond, wetlands, coastal dunes, and the Monterey Bay.

The building’s energy-efficient mechanical systems provide great comfort while being simple and efficient. The most appropriate technologies were used to reduce energy use while keeping construction costs comparable to more traditional designs.

The whole building is heated with a hydronic radiant slab perfect for library use because of its quiet operation. With the heat supply coming from the slab, only a small amount of outside air is required; this reduces the required ductwork and its associated construction cost and minimizes the noise from diffusers. Capitalizing on the cool coastal climate in Marina, building ventilation is provided by dedicated outside air fans and operable windows. The fans are also used at night as purge fans to cool down the building during the hottest days.

The plumbing system design reduces domestic water consumption and production and the energy used by the domestic hot water system. Low-flow fixtures are installed in all domestic water spaces and reduce the domestic water load by as much as 40%.