Boulder Creek Library

The Boulder Creek Library is a renovation of a well-loved neighborhood branch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Thoughtful improvements to daylight, material palette, and spatial configuration will allow the library to serve the community for the next generation.

The central reading room layout was improved by removing an awkward wall that spit the space and created a hallway at the entry that lacked any programmatic justification. By removing the wall, the reading room was expanded, and sightlines improved. The primary path of circulation is defined by a steel frame that separates the collections from the entryways to the Teen and Community rooms. Warm cherry wood, reminiscent of the bark of the redwood trees that surround the library, was used to wrap both the wall and ceiling. A consistent datum was established along the elevations of the reading room, above which a soaring ceiling draws the eye upwards to windows that give glimpses of the tree canopy beyond. A fireplace with blackened steel panels is the focal point of the reading room, with comfortable lounge seating inviting the public to grab a book and make themselves comfortable.

The children’s storytime room was imagined as a treehouse high in the canopy of the forest. The walls and ceiling are lined with cherry slats, and playful orbs of light dance along the ceiling. A custom wall graphic with towering redwoods includes small points of light with wings, reminiscent of fairies fluttering among the trees. Windows look out to the tree canopy, further reinforcing the sense of a tree house floating above the forest floor.

The reimagined storytime room and central reading room, combined with a replacement of aging systems and finishes through the building, updates this wonderful community resource for decades to come.

Awards:
AIA California Citation Award & AIA Monterey Bay Merit Award