Letter
Dear Ms. Cooper:
In its meeting of 15 November, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed and approved the concept submission for a new replacement building for the Woodridge Neighborhood Library, located at 1801 Hamlin Street, NE, at the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and 18th Street. The Commission commended the District of Columbia Public Library for its initiative to rebuild and improve library facilities throughout the city and noted its continued success in creating high–quality designs for social spaces in these civic buildings.
Characterizing the design as beautiful and well sited, the Commission members gave the following comments for the development of the project. They noted the solid character of the main entrance and suggested that it could be more open and transparent to make the building appear accessible and inviting to the community. They commented that the abundance of natural light entering from the south–facing windows may contribute to glare on computer screens and excessive heat gain; they recommended controlling the effects of natural light by shading and diffusion. They also questioned the location of the community room entrance on the side of the building adjacent to a residential property, commenting that this entrance would be more appropriately located on a facade facing a street.
The Commission looks forward to further review of the design as it is developed. As always, the staff is available to assist you with the next submission.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Ginnie Cooper, Chief Librarian
District of Columbia Public Library
901 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
cc: Bing Thom, Bing Thom Architects