Richard Jensen knows the reasons why the Billings Public Library could receive a prestigious sustainability certification this summer from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Following Saturday’s library dedication ceremony, Jensen — a Phoenix architect who was in on designing the new building from the start — gave a talk on the design items that could make the library gold or even platinum LEED certified.
LEED, an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a rating system for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings that encourages environmental responsibility.
“We haven’t achieved LEED anything yet,” he said, but library officials will find out if they have this summer once the old library’s been demolished and parking and courtyard construction is complete. Jensen said the library is currently four points shy of possible platinum certification, the highest possible. The minimum platinum score of 80 could be achieved with green cleaning and more green power initiatives, he said.
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Sustainable elements are present all around the colorful new building, Jensen explained during a workshop he led from the library’s second story:
Concrete flooring is much easier to clean on snowy days than carpeting is, saving labor and, eventually, landfill costs for the used carpeting. That sensibility fits with Yellowstone County residents, according to Jensen. “Your practicality is pervasive,” he said. “You take pride in austerity and practicality.” The library was constructed, he said, using as little paint and carpet as possible.
A photovoltaic array is mostly hidden by a sloping roof and produces about 3 percent of the library’s energy use.
Urinals in the men’s room don’t use any water. Outside, plantings will require little or even no irrigation.
Most of the lights are task lights, placed low enough to shine on, say, the spines of books. It’s more efficient to light a specific area of use than the library ceiling. “The book titles are easier to read with task lighting,” Jensen said. “It’s a joy to find the book you’re looking for.”
Even the library’s oval skylight is environmentally friendly. It’s actually an inflatable, four-panel balloon, and library patrons can tell just by looking at it that the heating and cooling system is in balance. How? The snow that fell on the skylight Friday night hasn’t melted, indicating the warm air is circulating. Even the snow clumps atop the skylight provide an eye-pleasing design element.
“We think of sustainability in the biggest sense,” Jensen said, noting that the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, built nearly 25 centuries ago, has enjoyed multiple uses since then, and is still standing. “The quality of design is best determined by how well the building is received in the community.”