A La Conner Public Library in Skagit Country, Washington, achieved the goal of uniting two Indian tribal communities, while the library’s cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure contributed to the project’s sustainability results.
Although La Conner and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community are physically adjacent, they have long been separated by history, culture and the complex legacies of settler colonialism. During the planning process for the library, located about 70 miles (113 km) north of Seattle, the La Conner Regional Library District formed a partnership to alter the project with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, making the community heavily involved in the project and one of its largest benefactors.
To represent the meeting of La Conner and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, the new library was renamed the La Conner Swinomish Library. In addition, a tribal member took a seat on the library’s board of directors, and BuildingWork, the project’s Seattle-based architect, invited the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community to join the design process, honoring the unique partnership between the city and tribe.
At the entrance to the library is a traditional storyboard designed and crafted specifically for the new library by Swinomish elder and master carver, Kevin Paul.
CLT, fully exposed inside the library, creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The carbon-sequestering material contributes to the project’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification, and as one of the first publicly funded buildings to use CLT throughout the structure, the project demonstrates what this emerging construction technology can do.
Other sustainable design strategies include extensive use of natural lighting, on-site power generation with a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system, a highly efficient building envelope and HVAC system, electric vehicle charging stations, and the use of non-toxic materials and finishes throughout.
“When there are common interests and goals, Native and non-Native communities can find ways to work together and build relationships that help each other grow,” says Swinomish Tribal Senator Brian Wilbur. “That’s what Swinomish and La Conner did with the building of this library and our communities have come closer because of it.”
“The La Conner Swinomish Library may be one of the first publicly funded buildings to use CLT for the entire building structure, and this project demonstrates what this emerging construction technology can do,” says Matt Aalfs, AIA, principal architect and founder of BuildingWork.
