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Literary Design

California Library Sets New Standard for Service & Design

by Tony Matter, freelance writer for the construction industry

When community officials decided to renovate the Cerritos Public Library in Cerritos, Calif., they wanted to create a grand library that would honor the past while embracing the future. After four years of design and construction the result is the newly named Cerritos Millennium Library; a sleek, futuristic-looking building that blends traditional library services with state-of-the-art technology and design.

A 1986 renovation of the Cerritos Library won a national award of excellence, one of the highest honors given by the American Institute of Architecture and the American Library Association, so expectations for this most recent project were high. To design the new facility, library and city officials called on Charles Walton and Associates (CWA), a Glendale, Calif.-based architecture firm that previously redesigned the library in 1986. Hoping to exceed the standards it set with its 1986 award-winning design, CWA created an exciting new model for public library services in the 21st century.

The three-story Millennium Library features an elaborate interior design that stretches across nearly every spectrum of history with themed rooms that define its various collections. The first floor is host to an Old World reading room reminiscent of ancient Rome, featuring rare first editions, wood paneling, and a Gothic fireplace with holographic flames. The second and third floors are laid out in an ultra-modern design, filled with art deco furniture and futuristic glass sculptures.

The $40-million library offers patrons nearly 300,000 books and instant access to the internet through 200 computer workstations and 1,200 laptop-ready internet portals. Every aspect of the Millennium Library encourages intellectual exploration, from the museum-quality exhibits scattered throughout the building to the 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium that greets patrons at the entrance.

While the interior amenities of this 82,500-square-foot library are top-notch, the exterior design commands attention before one even sets foot in the building. The Millennium Library is one of the first titanium-clad buildings in the United States, featuring a golden skin that changes color depending on the atmospheric pressure and the angle of the sun.

“The city of Cerritos wanted a substantial, long-lasting material. We considered granite, but with the building’s unique design a 100-year titanium made the most sense,” said James Nardini, vice presidentt, CWA. “It worked perfectly with the building’s compound curves, and the subtle shift in color that the titanium creates is a perfect metaphor for change, a concept the library felt very strongly about.”

Similar to other metal products, titanium becomes extremely hot when it is exposed to excessive sunlight. In order to maintain the integrity of the building and ensure a long service life, a special waterproofing underlayment had to be installed under the titanium that could withstand the extreme temperatures from the California sun.

CWA approved a Carlisle Coatings & Waterproofing (CCW) Water and Ice Protection (WIP) roofing underlayment to be installed under the metal roof sheets. “We looked at a number of underlayments and CCW’s WIP 300HT exceeded all of the necessary requirements for use under the titanium,” said Nardini. “This underlayment will allow the titanium to reach and probably exceed its expected 100-year service life.”

The 40-mil WIP 300HT is a high-tensile strength, rubberized asphalt underlayment specifically designed to withstand temperatures up to 240°F. The rubberized asphalt is laminated to an impermeable polyethylene film layer, making WIP 300HT a waterproofing underlayment that provides dual-barrier moisture protection. CCW’s WIP 300HT will not melt or become brittle, even under the most extreme weather conditions. “CCW’s WIP 300HT offers permanent protection and low life-cycle costs,” said Tim Eorgan, technical services manager, CCW. “This underlayment will not crack, dry out, or rot, resulting in long-term performance.”

Before the CCW underlayment and titanium panels could be installed, a complete overhaul of the library had to take place. The entire western half of the Cerritos Library was torn down, with collections temporarily stored in trailers, to make way for the new and improved Millennium Library. The general contractor for the project was C.W. Driver, Pasadena, Calif.

Construction began with C.W. Driver erecting metal studs 16” on center, which formed the library’s new skeleton. After the metal studs were erected, Custom Metal Fabricators Incorporated (CMF), Orange, Calif., was subcontracted to install the wall system. CMF has been in the sheet metal business for more than 50 years and specailizes in unique wall applications such as the one at the Millennium Library.

Although not accustomed to working with titanium, CMF was familiar with CCW’s WIP 300HT underlayment, having used it exclusively on high-temperature applications. “We use the WIP underlayment because it works extremely well and it’s so easy to install,” said Dave Duclett, vice president, CMF.

Before CMF could install the titanium cladding they had to attach 20-gauge metal sheeting to the building’s metal frame to create a smooth, flat surface for the application of the WIP underlayment. When all of the metal sheeting was attached, CMF adhered the WIP underlayment, starting at the bottom of the building and working towards the top. Because CCW’s underlayments are all self-adhering, CMF installed them directly to the metal sheeting without the need for additional primers, adhesives, or fasteners. The underlayment easily maneuvered around the library’s curved design, leaving no gaps where holes could develop. To install the WIP underlayment, CMF simply peeled the easy-to-remove backing off of the 67’ x 3’ membranes and adhered them to the metal sheeting, maintaining the specified overlaps with each subsequent sheet, to ensure a watertight seal.

For areas of the wall that featured penetrations such as light boxes and pipes, CMF ran the CCW underlayment onto the penetration, caulked over it, covered it with a metal flashing and installed another layer of WIP. A time-consuming task with underlayments that are not self adhering, CMF had no problems quickly flashing the penetrations with CCW’s WIP 300HT.

After the underlayment was completely installed, CMF began attaching the titanium panels. The panels were installed using a blind clip system that utilized four interlocking clips per panel, allowing them to expand and contract. Each clip was installed directly to the wall, through the WIP underlayment, with two screws. CCW WIP 300HT membranes feature a self-sealing quality that allows them to seal around the screws that puncture them when the clips were installed.

“The self-sealing feature on all of CCW’s underlayments is extremely beneficial,” said Tim Peterson, project manager, CMF. “Water infiltration would have a very detrimental impact on a system like this one, and the self-sealing feature on CCW’s underlayments significantly reduces the likelihood of water entering the building.”

When it was time to install the titanium panels, CMF worked horizontally, completing one row before moving onto the next. Each subsequent panel concealed the clips of the previous panel, giving the titanium walls their flat, unobstructed surface appearance.

After the project was complete, it didn’t take long for the awards and accolades to pile up for the new library. The Millennium Library was voted the “Best Public Library” by such publications as Reader’s Digest and Los Angeles magazine.



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