PROJECT  Baden Branch Library

ARCHITECT  Grimm + Parker Architects

LOCATION  Brandywine, Maryland, US​

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  12/10/2023

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Antonio Rebelo AIA, LEED AP, Agnes Panganiban, Julia Crawford Assoc. AIA, NCIDQ, LEED AP, Richard Watt AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Prince George's County Memorial Library System
CONTRACTOR/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Nardi Construction
PHOTOGRAPHER  Martice Tucker - Grimm + Parker Architects
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
CIVIL ENGINEER Adtek Engineers
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER  Columbia Engineering, Inc.
MECHANICAL ENGINEER  Gipe Associates
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER  Gipe Associates
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SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT  
STATEMENT:
A little public library was housed inside an elementary school for decades waiting for an opportunity to relocate and expand. In 2024, the Baden Public Library relocated next door into an abandoned health clinic. The transformation of the dark and dismal health clinic into a vibrant and colorful public library doubled the footprint of the original library to 4,900 sf, exceeding the community's expectations and surpassing their hopes and dreams.

CHALLENGE:
Members of a tight-knit rural community advocated for a larger library for many years. Finally, in 2020, the library system seized an opportunity to relocate their small library which could no longer accommodate their diverse community of senior citizens, young families, children, and teenagers to gather for events and activities. Oftentimes, children would be turned away for story-time because there was no more room or forced to leave because of breakdowns or repair work needed in the aging facility.

The adjacent health clinic had been abandoned for years but offered an opportunity for the library to relocate there and double its size. Sounds fantastic, right? But even with twice as much space totaling almost 5,000 square feet, would it be enough space to accommodate the community’s hopes and dreams for their new library?

SOLUTION:
Inspired by the apple orchards, farms and gardens of the region, the new interior offers many amenities for the community within the vibrant new space.

By removing all the interior walls and opening up the cluttered existing configuration, the design team maximized every square foot, and the space came alive through the use of furnishings, ceilings clouds, lighting and floor patterns to define zones throughout the open plan.

The new interior includes a meeting room with a wide garage door for meeting flexibility, an intimate café offering group and individual seating, a comfort room, a curated book collection, and technology for the customers, including a dozen public computers.

In the children’s area mini sanctuaries along the exterior windows provide seating with a view and decorative nods to different kinds of plants and trees throughout the space.

The design solutions exceed the program requirement through a series of spaces that can be used in multiple ways. The open floor plan layout, although compact, creates quality spaces for adults, teens, children, and staff areas through uses of colors, ceiling treatments, wall, and floor patterns.

As one community member put it, “even though this is small, it is huge for us!”

JURY COMMENTS (If applicable)

In transforming an abandoned health clinic, the architects proposed an interior adaptive reuse inspired by regional apple orchards. The design is colorful in both expression and use, offering unscripted zones that support multiple functions beyond the prescribed program. It is a cheerful and imaginative proposal, best captured by a community member’s reflection: “Even though this is small, it is huge for us.” The Jury wholeheartedly agrees.

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)
1. Inspired by the apple orchards, farms, and gardens of the region, the colors play fiercely here, with vibrant shades of red in the ceiling clouds along with the field of green in the flooring. © 2024 Martice Tucker, Grimm + Parker Architects
2. Inspired by the apple orchards, farms, and gardens of the region, the colors play fiercely here, with vibrant shades of red in the ceiling clouds along with the field of green in the flooring. © 2024 Martice Tucker, Grimm + Parker Architects
3. Nestled next to the service desk is a vending café where visitors can enjoy snacks and refreshments with a view to the garden outside. © 2024 Martice Tucker, Grimm + Parker Architects
4. Along the berry wall and abstract house + picket fence, guests can easily discover a small cafe oasis with hospitality touches where food and drinks are encouraged. © 2024 Martice Tucker, Grimm + Parker Architects
5. Orange and apple-colored acoustic ceiling clouds frolic above two prominent gathering spots in the floor plan. © 2024 Martice Tucker, Grimm + Parker Architects
6. The honeycomb lattice screens the restrooms from the service desk yet allows the staff supervision of main library entrance. © 2024 Martice Tucker, Grimm + Parker Architects
7. Mini sanctuaries placed tightly to the existing windows offer a peaceful connection to daylight for all ages. © 2024 Martice Tucker, Grimm + Parker Architects
8. The customer service desk with the berry wall backdrop is visible from all areas of the library. © 2024 Martice Tucker, Grimm + Parker Architects