The recently completed new Henrietta Public Library, the latest addition to the Town Campus on Calkins Road in the Town of Henrietta, has been recognized with a Gold Award in the ACEC New York 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards.
Protect Team
Passero Associates provided architectural and engineering design services for the construction of a two story, 36,000 SF library for the Town of Henrietta. The new building replaces an aging facility which, due to site restraints and cost implications, was not feasible to renovate and expand. The new Library is more than double in size of the former, providing much needed space for expanding book collections, computer access, and meeting spaces of varied size.
EC4B Engineering provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services, and Vargas Associates provided interior design and move management services. The Town’s own engineers completed the site design. Christa Construction served as the construction manager for the project. The prime contractors included Javen Construction, DiPasquale Construction Inc., Ramar Steel, Kaplan-Schmidt Electric, T. Bell Construction, and Thurston Dudek.
Functional and Community-Centered Design
Light, transparency, and sight lines are overarching themes seen throughout the design. Where the previous library was dark and inwardly focused, the new library provides ample daylighting and a connection to the outdoors with large windows at the perimeter and skylights on the second floor. A large grand stair, made of cast-in-place concrete, in the center of the space provides a visual connection between the first and second floors and the skylight above brings daylight into the interior of the building on both levels. The use of glass railings in this area almost disappear, increasing the transparency and light.
This connection also creates a greater area of visibility for the library staff, providing a critical component of safety and security. The four circulation and reference desks, two on each floor, provide sight lines to nearly every corner of the library. Glass walls surround the meeting rooms, quiet room, and teen library, sharing both light and a visual connection between these spaces. Lower bookshelves are also used throughout the project.
During the design phase, numerous public hearings were held where comments and ideas were heard by the design team and incorporated into the building. The value of incorporating public input was proven during the funding referendum process, where the voters overwhelmingly approved the new library. Once the project was approved by the public, there was significant collaboration between engineering professionals to finalize the design.
Passero Associates worked directly with the Town of Henrietta Engineers to coordinate the civil / site design and the building systems, which included an elaborate geothermal building heating and cooling system under the parking lot. The design team also worked with Rochester Institute of Technology – a leading engineering and technology university – to host their annual industrial design competition in association with the new library. The winning end result was a sculptural installation of a “tree” playhouse in the children’s library that was designed and constructed by the industrial design students.
About the ACEC New York Awards Program
The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York has announced the winners of the 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards. In total, 139 projects will be honored at the 53rd Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala, which will take place at the Hilton Midtown in New York City on April 4, 2020. This event is co-sponsored by the ACEC New York Scholarship Fund, and in conjunction with the Gala, our scholarship program will award more than $50,000 to NYS engineering students.
The Engineering Excellence Awards are presented to projects that encompass both the public and private sector in the following categories: studies, research, and consulting services; building/technology systems; structural systems; surveying and mapping technology; environmental; waste and storm water; water resources; transportation; energy; industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities; and special projects.
Each year, over 60 member firms submit projects that are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation and value to society. These projects are judged by a panel of industry experts, which includes military and government officials, ACEC National and International leadership, educators from college and university engineering departments, and leadership from other organizations dedicated to the built environment. Awards are distributed based on the average scores received by these judges and are assigned one of four levels (in ascending order): Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. The top-rated Diamond award that is designed and built entirely within New York State will earn the Empire Award, which will be announced during the Gala.
In addition to celebrating among peers, the Engineering Excellence Awards program helps to publicize the many significant contributions consulting engineers make to the built environment throughout the world. A full list of winning projects is available on the ACEC New York website, as well as information on purchasing tickets and sponsorships for the April 4 Engineering Excellence Gala, or contact (518) 452-8611 for more information.
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Passero Associates provides architectural, planning, structural engineering, civil engineering, sustainability, surveying, program management, construction administration and virtual infrastructure solutions in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast United States. Founded in 1972, and with a staff of over 100 professionals, we proudly serve our clients, partnering with them to achieve their goals.
ACEC New York is a proactive coalition of almost 300 firms representing every discipline of engineering related to the built environment—civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, geotechnical—and affiliated companies. Our shared goals are to further the business interests of our membership, enhance the quality and safety of the environment we live and work in, and help ensure the vitality of our communities. For more information, visit www.acecny.org.
