![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL2.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL3.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL4.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL5.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL6.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL7.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL8.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL9.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL10.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL11.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL12.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL13.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL14.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL15.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
![](layout/i/projects/durham-main-library-2/mobile_CULTURAL - CIVIC - DURHAM-LIBRARY- FINAL16.jpg?v=3)
DURHAM MAIN LIBRARY
Location: DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth
DURHAM LIBRARY
The program proposed by the owner was a 4th floor addition of a new S.T.E.A.M literacy center and renovation of the existing stack levels of the building. The design team’s solution instead was to open the floors onto one another and ‘weave’ the STEAM education spaces through the fabric of the existing 3 story library to a new 4th floor and from the interior of building into the space of site. The S.T.E.A.M program was gathered into a contiguous, open zone / field condition that weaves between both inside and out and vertically in section to define the primary circulation, while also shaping a fully flexible zone for all collaborative, technology rich ‘people spaces’ of the contemporary library.
The remaining plate areas house the fixed stacks (defined as an orthogonal array and made as dense as possible) to produce two distinct, but intertwined conceptual zones: one for the physical collection & one for collaboration and content creation. Rooted in the notion of weaving the ‘new’ program into the fabric of an existing ‘traditional’ library, this new zone is at times both overlapping/grafted + autonomous/independent of the existing building.
DURHAM, NC photography: Mark Herboth