NEWS RELEASE -- The downtown Pensacola Public Library has been awarded LEED Silver level certification from the U. S. Green Building Council following a renovation and expansion project completed last year.

The new library, funded in part by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, was designed by TOWNES + architects P.A. of Pensacola. The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design rating system is the leading green building rating system used for commercial buildings, homes and communities. It promotes sustainable design and construction emphasizing sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.

“Our new downtown library is a tremendous asset for our community,” said Mayor Ashton Hayward. “This project was planned with energy-efficiency in mind from day one, and those investments are paying off in the form of lower energy bills for the library.”

The project team, consisting of the City of Pensacola, the West Florida Regional Library Staff, and TOWNES + architects, established the sustainable goals for the building that provided the most benefit to the building occupants and taxpayers of Pensacola.

The team secured a U.S. Department of Energy Grant that assisted in funding a major portion of the sustainable building upgrades. The Library design features low flow water fixtures that reduce water use by 30 percent, high efficiency heating / ventilation / and air conditioning systems that reduce overall energy consumption by 11 percent, higher building envelope insulation values, energy efficient storm rated windows and doors, and reflective roofing that lowers the building’s overall energy demand.  Two main benefits of this part of the design is lower operating costs and improved indoor air quality.

The addition was constructed on the site of the former Pensacola Fire Station Number 1, adjacent to the existing library site. The original library building was renovated.  The addition includes a new atrium lobby, a state of the art computer lab, and community meeting rooms that approximately doubled the library size to 50,634 square feet.

By reusing the existing downtown building site, LEED credits regarding public transportation access, development density and community connectivity, and stormwater quality were achieved.

The Project Design and Construction Team included:

City of Pensacola, Project Manager: J. Robert McGuire

Library Director: Eugene Fisher and Darlene Howell

Architect: TOWNES + architects, P.A.

MEP Engineer: HM Yonge & Associates, Inc.

General Contractor: A.E. New, Jr. Inc.

LEED Consultant: Brodbeck & Company

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