C.W. Driver Breaks Ground on Manhattan Beach Library

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — The new 22,000-square-foot Manhattan Beach Public Library is currently under construction after C.W. Driver, with offices in Irvine, Calif., broke ground on the facility in August. The $19 million project includes demolishing the existing 43-year-old facility (about half the size of the new structure) and replacing it with the new, two-story facility. Los Angeles-based Harley Ellis Devereaux Architects designed the facility, and the master plan was created by Johnson Favaro, based in Culver City, Calif. It is designed to meet LEED Gold standards.
The design team was tasked with creating a building that mimics the architectural and construction trends of surrounding buildings, while still staying within the project’s budgetary constraints.
“We looked at several roof designs, window systems and millwork details finally deciding on the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, which met the budget without compromising quality, sustainability or appearance,” said Tom Jones, project director at C.W. Driver.
In addition to the significant daylighting elements created in the building’s design, the structure will also incorporate sustainable features to optimize energy- and water-use efficiency, improve indoor environmental quality and maximize the use and reuse of sustainable and local resources.
C.W. Driver will also conduct site improvements such as new landscaping, walkways and security lighting. The new facility will also feature the latest technologies, as existing computers and services will be replaced with express-service checkout machines in the lobby and public access computers. Adult reading areas, as well as teen and early childhood reading areas, will take up most of the space, while a homework center, dedicated programming space and a 100-seat community meeting room will also be featured.
C.W. Driver has worked on several LEED-certified project in Southern California, including the new two-story Newport Beach Civic Center. The project was completed in early May and is slated to achieve LEED Silver certification, with a possibility of getting LEED Gold. Construction on the $110 million project included the addition of a 17,000-square-foot, two-story library; a new 450-space parking structure; an 88,000-square-foot office building; and a community room and city council chambers that combined totals 12,000 square feet. Plus, Newport Beach’s fifth-largest park — at 14 acres — was also part of the site, featuring the city’s first-ever dog park.