Washington, DC. (June 27, 2022) – National interdisciplinary design firm HGA is pleased to announce the completion of the Lamond Riggs / Lillian J. Huff Library in Washington, DC. Opening on June 27, 2022, HGA designed a two-story 23,000-square-foot building to replace the existing library located on South Dakota Avenue in Northeast Washington, DC. Consigli Construction Co., Inc. led the collaborative design-build project.
“Libraries can be an extension of the home for a neighborhood, we worked closely with library staff and the community to reimagine the building program, develop a site plan, and create a building design that captured the unique qualities of the neighborhood,” said Peter Cook, design principal at HGA. “The result is a beautiful, light-filled library that responds to the needs of both longtime and new residents and offers a wide range of spaces including an entry plaza that accommodates all users.”
In partnership with DC Public Library, HGA facilitated extensive community engagement that led to a design that reflects the community’s goals to create a place that is welcoming, a place of learning and technology, and a place of community and history. The perforated aluminum screen along South Dakota Avenue is an abstraction of those goals, inspired by the patterns, rhythms and textures of the streets, residences, and open spaces of the surrounding neighborhood.
The new library, which is about 5,000 square feet larger than the facility it replaces, features:
- expanded space for adults, teens, and children
- the Discovery Zone, for children and infants
- a variety of collaboration spaces including a living room-style seating area
- a large meeting room with capacity for up to 100 people, dividable into separate smaller rooms
- seven smaller reservable meeting spaces, one for up to twelve people, two for up to six people each, and four study spaces designed for two people
- a protected front porch area that is accessed from inside the library and offers an outdoor area for meetings, working, or reading a book
- modern and reliable technology offerings
- efficient staff spaces
“The Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library is a place for visitors to learn, innovate, and collaborate—much like our teams did through its design and construction. The community’s partnership resulted in a pioneering space that will serve the neighborhood well for years to come,” said Phil Brault, Consigli Director of Operations.
Landscape Architects Lee and Associates designed bioretention areas, added a tree canopy to provide shade, reinforced the streetscape form, and added buffer planting to screen the library parking lot.
The Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library brings world-class library service to another community in the District, said Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of the DC Public Library. “How libraries serve a community continues to evolve and throughout the design process, we heard from residents a desire for more spaces for meetings, informal gatherings and access to technology. This design meets these needs and in a way that is bright, inviting and thoughtful.”
The Library is expected to achieve LEED Gold standards.
About HGA
HGA is a national interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of over 800 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists. Our practice spans multiple markets, including corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, healthcare, and science and technology. Visit HGA.com or follow on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
About Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
Consigli Construction Co., Inc. is a leading construction manager in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Consigli services clients across all markets, including institutional, academic, health care, life sciences, energy, corporate, and federal. Founded in 1905, Consigli is now an employee-owned (ESOP) company providing its people a direct benefit of its success and creating a culture of accountability. The company has offices in Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New York, and the Caribbean. Consigli has received numerous awards for its craftsmanship and employment practices, including being nationally recognized as a Forbes Best Employer. For more information, visit consigli.com, follow Consigli on Twitter and on LinkedIn.