Glulam Commons

ARCH 2102 Integrated Studio
Taught by Katharina Kral
Spring 2023

The schematic design of this project involved two phases of research: precedent and material. The classical library precedent, the National Library of France by Henri Labrouste, is characterized by its celebration of steel structure through the opening of several large primary programs that feature skylights. The material precedent, the Congress and Exhibition Center by Studio Botter + Studio Bressan, exhibits glulam structure’s incredible spans and glass enclosure.

The heavily disregarded creek along the southern edge of the site divides the greater city of Ithaca. Everything north of Six Mile Creek is hardscape, while the south is greenscape. The massing conceptually occupies the irregularly shaped site by touching every edge, forming north and south lots that extend the creek’s division of the city with its hard and greenscapes. The back lot is a public park that reactivates the creek.

Three skylights are located at the “focused” programs: collaborative study, reading room, and digital commons. Between the roof pitches, these programs emerge, clearly legible from the exterior. The glulam structural beams and dense rafter grid allow for minimal column placement and large, open interior spaces. The wood structure aligns and misaligns with the interior partitions. All mechanical and storage areas are located along the edge of the library facing the street to minimize noise and maximize views south toward the creek.