Vancouver Community Library

Vancouver, Washington

Prior to commencement of the library project, Mayer/Reed worked with an architecture team, developer and the City of Vancouver on a phased master plan for Library Square, a mixed-use development parcel proposed for the central business district. The library, as Phase 1, is a catalyst for additional private investment in the downtown. Urban design services included integration of the streetscape, entry plaza, open space and service area into the overall plan. Indoor/outdoor connections of this community building are emphasized in the library’s site plan where patterned precast paving of the entry moves seamlessly into the library’s atrium. A fourth-floor outdoor terrace extends from the reading room, overlooking the future central plaza and providing views of the Ft. Vancouver National Historic Site, Mt. Hood and the Columbia River.

The signage program includes a large sculpted letterform identity at the entry plaza and super graphic wayfinding elements in the 4-story atrium. Working closely with the architects on the custom designed computer workstations, Mayer/Reed designers developed moveable sign armatures that allow for information content flexibility and reconfiguration of computer stations in the future.

Owner: Fort Vancouver Regional Library District

Photographer: Bruce Forster

Photographer: Nic Lehoux

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Prior to commencement of the library project, Mayer/Reed worked with an architecture team, developer and the City of Vancouver on a phased master plan for Library Square, a mixed-use development parcel proposed for the central business district. The library, as Phase 1, is a catalyst for additional private investment in the downtown. Urban design services included integration of the streetscape, entry plaza, open space and service area into the overall plan. Indoor/outdoor connections of this community building are emphasized in the library’s site plan where patterned precast paving of the entry moves seamlessly into the library’s atrium. A fourth-floor outdoor terrace extends from the reading room, overlooking the future central plaza and providing views of the Ft. Vancouver National Historic Site, Mt. Hood and the Columbia River.

The signage program includes a large sculpted letterform identity at the entry plaza and super graphic wayfinding elements in the 4-story atrium. Working closely with the architects on the custom designed computer workstations, Mayer/Reed designers developed moveable sign armatures that allow for information content flexibility and reconfiguration of computer stations in the future.

Owner

Vancouver Community Library Vancouver, Washington

Services

Landscape Architecture
Master Planning
Urban Design
Visual Communications

Sustainable Features

Green roofs and eco-roofs
LEED Platinum certified
Recycled/recyclable materials

Awards

2014 Merit Award, SEGD Global Design Awards