The employee entry is discrete and nearly unnoticeable, whereas the public entrance is marked by a 58-ft-tall metal paneled vertical volume that is the tallest point on the building.

“Conceptually, the entrance tower is an abstracted lighthouse,” Schoeman says. “It’s a symbolic beacon of light that leads the public toward the path of knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment.”

Library enlightenment includes sustainability, too. The project is seeking LEED gold. It features a white reflective roof with 300 photovoltaic panels, for example.

“Solar panels will generate 103.5 kilowatts of electricity annually,” says Martin-Harris assistant project manager Adam Rhyne. “The system will meet 12% of the building’s energy demands.”

Zone climate and under-floor ventilation, glazing with internal sunscreens and east-to-west site orientation combine for a high-efficiency building envelope that minimizes heat gain and maximizes natural light. The library and service center consequently use 40% less energy than a comparable building.

Additional green measures include drought-tolerant landscaping, waterless urinals and electric light monitors, as well as woods certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and low-VOC adhesives and paints.

Roughly 75% of the debris being generated during construction is being recycled. The building itself uses 11.7 million lbs of recycled steel as well as concrete and carpet with recycled content. Caliche found onsite was crushed and recycled as aggregate base, and 100% of stormwater is being recycled.

Key Players

Owner: Las Vegas-Clark County Library District
General Contractor: Martin-Harris Construction
Construction Manager: URS Corp.
Architect: JMA Architecture Studios
Consultant: Aaron Cohen Associates
Subcontractors: Mohave Electric Co.; Target Construction; Interstate Plumbing & Air Conditioning; Southwest Glazing; Dittmeier Steel Services