Case Study: Ruiz Libary
Stanley Architects and Artisans, Inc.

Project Goals
To integrate the intentions of the City of Austin staff and the expertise of the design team to forge the greatest possible sustainable design solutions, in terms of the following:

• Energy efficiency for life of facility (including full commissioning process)
• Materials and finishes (such as high recycled content)
• Resources (such as water conservation, minimizing O&M costs)
• Site (smart orientation, green views, and drought tolerant landscape planting)

A second goal of the project was to produce a design highly responsive to users and community that featured:

• Complete program requirements (advanced education, computer technologies)
• Local character (limestone, trellises)
• Local culture (use of color, neighborhood input)
• Crafted detail (articulated columns, sunscreens)

Project Name/Location	Rating	Completion Date	Cost/ft2 (excludes land)
Daniel E. Ruiz Branch Library 1600 Grove Blvd. Austin, Texas 78741	3-Star	January 2004	$175

Project Description
The Daniel E. Ruiz Branch Library drew its inspiration for design from the confluence of distinct regional geologies and a culturally diverse neighborhood, in conjunction with the the City of Austin's design program. The stepped limestone ridges of the Hill Country, among other indigenous cues, conceptually influenced the massing of the building, the site design, treatment of structural elements and details such as concrete columns, sunscreens, color palette, and furnishings.

Photos by Paul Bardagjy

The design team and City staff held several public meetings with local citizens to review the designs and ensure that the facility would integrate suitably into the neighborhood. In addition, the Director of Planning and Facilities for the Library Department, John Gillum, instituted a Commissioning program which enabled the collaborative integration of several unique features into the building design, ensuring a facility that is sustainable over the long term.

The 16,000 square foot facility integrates many sustainable features with dynamic, user-friendly spaces and advanced network technologies, overlaid with crafted details. A large meeting room with multiple configurations enables a range of functions for community events and meetings. Other spaces accommodate community education in computer technologies. The main book collections and reading areas are set within an expansive clerestory space, lit primarily with daylight diffused by perforated aluminum exterior sunscreens, and supported by large exposed structural trusses set on detailed cast-in-place concrete columns. The Youth Area, adjoining the main reading room, includes a children's meeting nook.

The building is sited for ample solar-controlled daylighting, utilizing high efficiency window coatings and solar shades to reduce lighting loads and flood the interior with natural light. The resulting orientation also captures views of the open landscape of the neighboring golf course. The variable air volume HVAC and electrical systems include a building automation system that helps control climatic efficiency and outside air intake as well as occupancy lighting sensors, high-efficiency condensing units, CO2 sensing system, energy recovery at the outside air handling units, and a low pressure duct system.

Project Features

Sustainable Sites:

• Existing trees and buffers were preserved
• On-Site runoff control and retention
• Building oriented for ample solar-controlled daylight, reducing need for lighting
• Construction staging limited for minimal impact to remainder of field and creek bed
• Porous paving used for the firelane

Water Efficiency:

• Xeriscaped landscaping reduces irrigation needs
• Provisions for future rainwater collection system
• Pollutant leaching materials were not used

Energy & Atmosphere:

• Shaded fenestration of south and west exposures was provided to reduce energy costs
• HVAC commissioning from programming to occupancy
• HVAC systems exceeded Energy Code by 20%
• Small point of use water heaters used to minimize energy loss
• High efficiency HVAC, lighting, plumbing fixtures - meeting or exceeding the City of Austin Sustainable Guidelines and Specifications

Materials & Resources:

• 100% recycled carpet
• 20% post-consumer/ 40% post-industrial recycled pre-engineered steel joists & steel beams
• 75% recycled acoustic ceiling tiles
• Native stone
• Locally produced steel and concrete
• Rock wool building insulation
• Construction waste management and recycling

Indoor Environmental Quality:

• Abundant natural light
• Shading devices on south and west exposures
• Low VOC finishes
• CO2 monitoring
• Maximized building envelope efficiency

Testing/General Results:

The Ruiz Library replaced the previous branch facility with a building twice the size and garnered a 3-star rating from the Austin Green Building Program. Its generous provisions for natural light and excellent performance in energy conservation, as well as its comfortable massing on the site, in rugged stone-clad volumes softened by native landscaping, highlight its success as a green building and contribution to the community. The Austin Chronicle voted it Best New Public Building, 2004.

The design team and commissioning agent, Kent Browning, P.E., worked collaboratively to complete a successful commissioning process that included peer design review and coordination with Owner's maintenance programs. Throughout construction, the building underwent pressure testing to ensure a tight building envelope, and duct and equipment testing. Browning observed that the building envelope tested better than any other city building he had previously tested. To ensure long-term efficient functioning of the systems, operation and maintenance manuals were developed and reviewed with building personnel.

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