Awards: 
• AIA Merit Award for Architectural 
   Excellence, AIA Potomac Valley
• Award of Excellence for Best Institutional 
  Facility, National Association of Industrial + 
  Office Properties (NAIOP)
• Award of Merit for Best Green Building, 
  National Association of Industrial + Office 
  Properties (NAIOP)

The Burke Centre Library was LEED-Silver certified by USGBC in 2009 and was the first library to be LEED-certified in Virginia. The 17,000 s.f. building form provides visibility from an adjacent, high speed road.  The central spine locates the entrance during the day, and glows at night.  The curved form responds to site access and vehicular access requirements.  

A central space connects the front lobby and access to the main reading space, which orients to a wall of north-facing glass with views to hardwood trees beyond.  A clerestory along the edges of the central space brings controlled daylighting deep into the building.

 

Library collections include children’s, young adult, reference, adult fiction/non-fiction, extensive audio-visual, new items, and periodicals.  Support spaces include dividable, public meeting room, kitchenette to support meeting functions, group study room, small conference room, and full-service, drive-up circulation station.  Public meeting rooms and toilets can be accessed after hours, with full security for the rest of the library.

 

The main circulation desk has visual control of the center of the library and out to the drive-up window.  The reference desk has visual access and control of most of the library floor, due to careful planning of the stack layout.