Ash King - Library Systems Study

Completed with Emily Wang and Shalom David

A perforated metal facade was designed on the South and West facades to reduce solar heat gain within the building and to protect the antique book collections.

This project was completed for the Georgia Tech Integrated Building Systems course. An antique book library was designed for Phoneix, Arizona with careful consideration of lighting and its effect on the HVAC system. The work includes the new construction of a 4 story building plus a basement level. The construction will be performed in one phase, including programming for conference spaces, reading rooms, and book storage spaces.

Ground floor and Second level plans. The grand staircase is located at the south/west corner of the building and provides easy access between all of the central reading rooms. The conference room spaces have been placed against the north/east party walls.

The roof utilizes photovoltaic panels with head height clearance beneath them. The panels are obscured behind the perforated metal facade that extends above the building. Vents in the skylight allow for fire safety and ventilation for the atrium, which is connected from the lobby to all visitor floors.

South and East facades. Through precise solar analysis, the facade panels are positioned at the optimal angles to deflect direct sunlight during peak heat hours while still allowing diffused daylight to permeate, enhancing energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

The building features a perforated metal screen system that tilts outward progressively with each floor. The exact tilt angle of each panel is carefully calibrated to maximize solar shading, minimizing heat gain by blocking the most intense sunlight that would contribute to interior temperature increases. Additionally, the panels are strategically angled to reduce glare, ensuring comfortable daylighting while maintaining exterior visibility. The photovoltaic roof panels take advantage of the large amounts of sunlight in Phoenix, AZ to lower energy consumption in the building.

Typical column structural details.

The structural system features one-way slab with 18” post tension girders, 16" post tension girders beams, and 9" post tension joists supported by 18” columns. The system was chosen due to the need for large span reading rooms and the extreme weight of the book storage rooms. The size of each structural member was calculated based on the wind and seismic conditions for Phoneix. The soil report was also thoroughly analyzed to design the basement shear walls and drilled piers.

The HVAC system runs through two shafts near each fire stair and elevator core. One is utilized for the supply air shaft while the other is used for the return.