Building for Good

Architecture, at its core, is an exercise of control over nature.

Man’s first domiciles were crude appropriations of the nature that sheltered and inspired us. While huts have become skyscrapers and sticks have become buttresses, the molding of natural resources for the needs of society has remained a constant.

As we have gained a more complete mastery over our surroundings, mankind’s perspective has turned outwards. Instead of fighting against nature, we now consider how we can work with it. As such, sustainability has become a given in the field of architecture. But how can the inherently unnatural and exploitative act of building mesh with the our green future?

This conflict between the natural and artificial has manifested itself in the construction of the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Park Public Library. The library is nestled in a sleepy town located in Saratoga County, NY.

Before its construction, the cost of a library worried the town; they assumed that building sustainability would be more expensive. However, the building completely defied these expectations. The library’s sustainable design actually saves the town $60,000 annually while remaining eco-friendly. Through careful design choices and thoughtfully forward thinking practices, the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Park Public Library is both economically and environmentally optimal.

The very orientation of the building is in synch to its surroundings. The library’s orientation utilizes natural resources in a novel way. The building is perpendicular to the road, aligning itself in a particular direction to best harness sunlight for natural lighting and heating purposes. The windows are designed to avoid too much sunlight from the south side of the building, which is where the majority of the heat would come from. This very small change in design thinking can lead to a cascade of benefits that allows a building to be greener without undue complexity. 

This coexistence with nature is central to the philosophy that has guided the building’s design. According to library architect Bill Connor, one goal was to blur the line between the outdoors and the indoors to enhance the building with the beauty of its natural surroundings. Instead of visually competing, Connor wanted to cooperate with the building’s surroundings because according to Connor, you can’t design anything more beautiful than the woods. The filtration system and expansive windows are admirably integrated as well. Windows are liberally placed throughout the building, taking full advantage of the library’s surroundings. The filtration system monitors the level of CO2 to intelligently so to not waste energy.

The materials of the library’s interior are similarly thought out. In sustainability, affordability is important, but costs are not the most important part of the design calculus. For example, the chairs used in the library are made with locally harvested wood from nearby Jamestown, NY. Though similar China-made chairs cost less, the environmental impact of shipping materials overseas outweighed any savings. Even the wallboard of the library is made of residual powder from scrubbing smoke stacks, meaning this extra emission residue isn’t wasted. Instead of piling up in a landfill, it’s put to good use and given a second life. When sustainability is the primary goal, it has to be reflected in all stages of construction without any shortcuts; it’s a philosophy, not a buzzword.

Cost remains a constant question when it comes to sustainable development; it came up when Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library was being constructed.  But when there is more demand for environmentally friendly products, the cost of said products goes down as they become more common. As an example, the library’s recycled floor tiles were niche product during the library’s construction, but are more easily accessible. As sustainable practices in architecture become more ubiquitous, the market grows to become more environmentally responsible.

All of these systems and design choices add up to an impressively thoughtful and sensitive building. However, the efficiency of Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library isn’t set in stone. According to Connor, it’s only a green building if it continues to perform as intended. This is why Connor will periodically train the people who run the library in how to best keep it up for the long term. Much like the forest that surrounds the building, the library must grow and adapt over time. 

Sustainable architecture doesn’t require sacrificing any key features; the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library is still a library. But in pioneering green technologies and adopting a boldly forward-thinking perspective, the library becomes something more: a tangible vision for the future. While a small library in Upstate New York isn’t going to save the planet, the thought process behind its design signals a more holistic understanding of how our civilization impacts the planet. If that sentiment were to grow and become all-encompassing in our decisions, then we might stand a chance after all.

Special thanks to Bill Connor for sharing your wisdom and advocating for sustainable markets. 

By Kevin Zampieron
Photographed by Garrett Chase