The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library expands their services with this new service location in Whitestown, where the population has grown by almost threefold between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. The town approved the design and construction of the new 23,000-square-foot branch in 2021 on a site with adequate parking, outdoor programming, and a wooded area behind the building. The location is key to the increasing service area and surrounded by neighborhoods of patrons.

Accessibility, visibility, and access to the outdoors were identified as some of the top priorities for the library. The 11-acre site, situated on a main arterial road, with access to a heavily wooded area, checked all the boxes for the owner. The design takes advantage of the visual access to the trees with large glass expanses along the building’s north side. The clerestory windows throughout the library’s main circulation spaces ensure that natural light fills all public spaces inside the library. The new branch also takes advantage of the site’s previous park, making the building accessible by car and by foot from its surrounding trails.

Through sun studies, the krM team worked to orient the building on the site to maximize natural daylighting and other objectives to optimize the building’s utilities and operating costs. These thoughtful design considerations help the building use less resources and reduces cost for heating and cooling.