The Choszczówka Public Library was designed with a timber frame. This makes it unique because public buildings are rarely constructed of wood. The architects from the Ambient studio wanted the building to be environmentally friendly. How did they succeed?
We try to meet the goals of sustainable architecture as comprehensively as possible, thinking about both its technical and social aspects. We used solutions that made it possible to reduce the primary energy consumption and the carbon footprint of the building compared to standard buildings, both in the operational phase and in the phase of material production and construction, say the project’s authors
These include low U-values for the building envelope and soffit and a heat pump heating system integrated with photovoltaic panels. The design also includes the ability to control the air handling unit so as to limit air exchange during periods of lower demand (e.g. at night). Natural ventilation was also provided to reduce the need for air conditioning
The designers wanted to ensure that users in every part of the building had contact with nature. For this reason, they designed large glazed areas, and each of the rooms on the ground floor has access to the green area surrounding the building
In addition to its typical function of lending books to adults and children, the library will also serve the local community as a meeting place. There will be spaces that can be used for remote working and private events (with the possibility of renting a room). On the south side, a summer reading room and a venue for cultural events, including open-air cinema screenings, are planned
In designing the surroundings of the library, the architects have preserved a section of the site with valuable trees. Interference in this area has been kept to a minimum. The facility will not be fenced off, the aim being to encourage activity and freedom of movement as much as possible. The area around the library has been given new planting – mainly native species, melliferous and with edible fruit for birds. Instead of a standard lawn, a flower meadow will appear in spring
There will be educational activities for children in the library, also in the field of ecology. To promote environmentally friendly solutions, information will also be displayed in the building. In this way, we will naturally sensitise readers to environmental issues ,” add the project’s authors
Water-saving solutions are also worth noting. A 6 m3 reservoir has been designed in the building to collect rainwater from the roof. The collected water will be used to water the plants around the building
The library in Choszczówka is already under construction. The investor is the City of Warsaw. For their project, the architects won an award in the Best Environmental Project category of the PLGBC Polish Green Building Council Awards 2023
design: Ambient
Read also: Library | Minimalism | Detail | Wood | Interesting facts | whiteMAD on Instagram
