During my involvement with library builds and refurbishments it has become clear to me that whilst the tangible aspects of the building and its interior, such as the construction materials used, the furniture & fittings and the details of the project plan, are all vitally important there is something else that is also essential for a great result. The strapline that I have used for this website tries to encapsulate this as ‘the ideas in the building’. Those aspects of the services and space that might be considered ‘peripheral’ to the serious business of crafting the building are, in my view, as important or even more important in creating a great building and achieving a stand out result. The sections below are some aspects of the planning and design that can make the difference between a good result or an outstanding one.
- the library of the senses
- environmental psychology
- biophilia
- refuge and prospect
- metaphor and meaning
- delight and disaster