Client Login

Case study

WE CREATE SPACES THAT INSPIRE DRAMATIC MOMENTS OF DISCOVERY

Louisville Free Public Library

To better reflect the population growth in Louisville’s suburban areas, the Louisville Free Public Library developed a master plan which earmarked construction of three new regional branches to ensure that 90% of the city’s residents would live within 5 miles of a full service library.

JRA has been honored to lead a truly unique design process - one where the client, architects, and landscape designer developed solutions together to guarantee that every feature enhanced appearance, performance and operations. We all made a promise to turn the traditional perception of libraries on its head.

“JRA has afforded our city, often through painstaking measures, educational and community landmarks for generations to come.”

Paul Burns
Creative Director and Community Relations, Louisville Free Public Library

What we set out to do

After merging with the county, the city library system had an obligation to expand services to historically underserved suburban neighborhoods. In the end, land acquisition, development costs, and the sheer quantity of construction projects pushed the master plan toward an approach of fewer, larger, full service libraries: more materials in less space.

Fully embrace public library evolution as a place to not only access knowledge, but to apply it (hands on learning).

A correlation exists between community investment in libraries and economic productivity and resiliency.

Create flexible environments to meet the learning and technological needs of future generations.

WHAT RESULTED IS A TRANSFORMATIVE LIBRARY EXPERIENCE

Through CONNECTION

Holistic Site Design
The deep integration between the landscape and building architects empowered design solutions that inspired one another. The results are destinations that lure visitors to take the long route to the front door, engaging with each site’s unique characteristics before seeing those same features as celebrated views once inside.

Through SPATIAL DESIGN

Supreme Adaptability
Libraries have to achieve more than ever with fewer resources than ever. These buildings were shaped to empower staff to actively engage patrons, and be easily reconfigurable when inevitable service evolution happens.

Through LIGHT

Active daylight dimming system to ensure ideal reading conditions throughout the day.

Through USER- CENTERED EXPERIENCE

Personal spaces for patrons of every age.

“Civic projects like our libraries, that touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in such meaningful ways, are a catalyst for my love of architecture.”

Colin Drake
AIA, LEED AP, Principal, JRA Architects

Take a deeper dive

South Central Regional Branch >

Colin Drake on the Louisville Free Public Library South Central

Southwest Regional Branch >

Colin Drake on the Louisville Free Public Library Southwest

Northeast Regional Branch >

Colin Drake on the Louisville Free Public Library Northeast

We believe collaboration is key to meaningful, impactful architecture. Ready to start a conversation about your space?

Contact us