The complex is a pilot project for Net Zero Cambridge. The Building Responds to the community’s demand for a healthier and more resilient city. The Valente Branch proves both are possible. The team held visioning charettes at school, sporting, and community events and senior centers, resulting in a responsive design for a city invested in the project. The project also had competing agendas of maximizing building utilization and extending library hours while minimizing energy usage to attain Net Zero Emissions.

Connecting with nature, providing thermal and acoustical comfort, and modulated daylight were incorporated in the Valente Branch library design. Five play spaces, a reading garden, and a bocce court support physical and emotional wellness. The building integrates durable and healthy materials with a variety of seating options to create a comfortable space for everyone. The library was built with a focus on flexibility allowing the community space to open up for larger gatherings.

Today, the library circulation, programming, and patronage have more than doubled. The building’s amenities – auditorium, cafeteria, pools, and gyms have been drawing people of all ages and abilities to engage with their city library. This project has become an exemplar on how to achieve an inclusive Net Zero building, not only in Cambridge but throughout the country. The building has been toured by
institutions and presented at conferences around the world as a model library of the future.