San Francisco building country’s largest net-zero energy library

California Construction News staff writer

San Francisco is building the Hayward Library and Community Learning Center to set a new sustainability benchmark. The building is expected to become the nation’s largest net-zero energy library facility.

The library is expected to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification. The 58,000-sq. ft. building will use solar power that relies solely on electricity and cuts building code energy efficiency standards by 50 percent. It also utilizes passive design principles and first-of-the-kind water-saving measures.

Designed by Noll & Tam Architects, the building’s serene terracotta exterior features expansive glass areas, a composite structural system that places structural supports on the building’s exterior organized around a central atrium. The atrium  floods the interior with daylight and stands as the centerpiece with its staircase.