This proposed addition to the Gordon Avenue branch of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in Charlottesville, Virginia, extends the institution’s mission to “foster personal growth and lifelong learning for all by connecting people with ideas, information, and each other” through the creation of a Resilient Material Library centered on craft-based education and mentorship.

While the existing library sits within the heavily canopied Venable neighborhood, the adjacent 10th and Page community suffers from minimal tree coverage, making Virginia summers both uncomfortable and medically hazardous. The project addresses this disparity by providing a third space and cooling center that serves both neighborhoods.

The central design strategy is a spine-like structural shelf that dialogues with the existing library’s massing. This enlarged “shelf” operates both metaphorically and practically; housing recycled materials, displaying workshop projects, and organizing the program. From this spine extend structural walls of varying thicknesses: at times they become occupiable, forming hearth-like gathering spaces; elsewhere, subtractions from these walls generate large studios, workshops, galleries, and community rooms. The architecture acts as a framework for material-based learning, while the facade becomes a living reflection of community labor and creativity.

The proposed programs are environmentally conscious and skill-oriented:

Wood shop – teaching furniture repair to promote sustainability.

Brick Facade Program – empowering individuals to improve home energy efficiency.

Kids Workshop – engaging children in hands-on craft while supporting local bat populations.

Through these programs, the library addition fosters resilience, celebrates craft, and transforms the building itself into a collage of materials, stories, and community engagement.