Dee Brown Public Library

Dee Brown Public Library

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

Challenge: Create a library that would be visually striking, comfortable for users and efficient for the city to operate on a tight budget.

Performance: Through the use of efficient materials and conscious design, this facility operates at an annual energy cost of $1.05 per square foot, making it one of the most efficient institutional buildings in Arkansas.

Description: The 13,500-square-foot library for Southwest Little Rock features a unique exposed steel and timber structure with a stone and metal exterior skin. The energy-saving features of the building have resulted in annual energy costs of approximately $1.05 per square foot, possibly the lowest energy cost for an institutional building in Arkansas. Fennell Purifoy provided master planning, space planning, architecture and interior design. The Dee Brown Library received an Honor Award and Members Award from the Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.