10-05-2017

Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center, AIA ALA 2017

Eskew Dumez Ripple,

Riga, Latvia, USA,

Community Center, Libraries,

Award,

The Rosa F.



  1. Blog
  2. Sustainable Architecture
  3. Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center, AIA ALA 2017

Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center, AIA ALA 2017 The Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center in the heart of New Orleans designed by Eskew Dumez Ripple is one of the eight recipients of the  2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Award 2017 organised by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Library Association (ALA).


After the Varina Area Library (Virginia) and the National Library of Latvia (Riga, Lettonia), winners of the 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Award, today we're presenting the Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center in New Orleans. The library and community center is owned by the New Orleans Public Library and was designed by the multidisciplinary firm Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, based in the capital of Louisiana and active for years in sustainable architecture, also comprising “community building” operations. 
The library is located in the Broadmoor neighbourhood of New Orleans, one of the lowest-lying areas of the city, so flooding from Hurricane Katrina in 2016 was particularly devastating. The original plan of a former mayor called for returning certain areas of the city to green space but residents fought for their homes and to have their community library rebuilt - important to help lead the city's rebirth and its community life
So, in addition to the reconstruction of the 585-square metre library, the former home of library pioneer Rosa F. Keller Library, a 1917 Arts and Crafts bungalow was also restored and converted into the Community Center, complete with catering kitchen and café, connected to the main building by a glass corridor.
This references the importance of culture as a driving force to help communities recover from disaster and food that plays a pivotal role in the lives of New Orleans residents. An approach that is the perfect match for its approach to sustainability of the overall project, considering the community-oriented background, and of course the resilience of the structures themselves.
The Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple has achieved LEED Silver environmental certification and is one of the eight recipient projects of the 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Award insomuch as this innovative construction that is so closely connected to the city's fabric brings alternative educational programmes and technology to the district, confirming the fundamental importance of these architectural and cultural operations in reconstructing areas struck by natural disaster.

Christiane Bürklrin

Project: Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, http://www.eskewdumezripple.com/
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Year: 2012
Engineer (civil/structural): Kulkarni Consultants
Engineer (geotechnical): Professional Services Industries, Inc.
Engineer (MEP): Lucien T. Vivien & Associates
Furnishings: Associated Office Systems
General contractor: Ryan Gootee General Contractors, LLC
Landscape architect: Spackman, Mossop + Michaels
Neighborhood liaison: Broadmoor Improvement Association
Images: © Timothy Hursley
2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Award
Further Information: https://www.aia.org/showcases/74891-rosa-f-keller-library-and-community-center

×
×

Stay in touch with the protagonists of architecture, Subscribe to the Floornature Newsletter