Washington Highlands Library project

The first Washington Highlands Library design meeting was back in September 2008, called the Hopes and Dreams Meeting.

Ward Eight residents who attended this meeting gave broad suggestions and desires for their new library -- very good ideas for a new library. Unfortunately since there were no example images of 21st Century libraries from around the nation, there was little talk of possible architecture for a new library building. In fact, it seemed as if DCPL discouraged talk about architecture at this point in the process.

Those who made time to attend the first design meeting in September were limited to a discussion that would not give any architect meaningful information and ideas to begin drawing drafts of a new library. DCPL planning exercises and facilitation of the community design meetings don't allow for more engaging discussion with the architect and hence there is no good back and forth between DC residents and DCPL, like a charette could do.

Most cities building civic projects like a library do so only after conducting a charette with the community. The "Hopes and Dreams" meeting is NOT a charette.

In neighborhoods throughout our City where library projects are underway, DC residents are continually saying they are not being engaged by DCPL and in fact are being ignored. The following video shows the September 2008 Board of Library Trustees meeting and in particular demonstrates that serious concerns about the DCPL's design process are being expressed by people from around the City, especially our neighbors in Ward Seven.

Results of the Hopes and Dreams meeting weren't uploaded to the DCPL website until November 2008 and most people didn't see that until they went to the DCPL website.

Since the Hopes and Dreams meeting, DCPL has met with the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and presented new Washington Highlands library design plans that are nearly complete.

On February 19, 2009, the architect hired by DCPL for the Washington Highlands library project presented to the CFA a to-scale library model and described useable space in the library down to the square foot. The CFA had these comments about the designs -- click here.

The new library design is nearly fininshed ~ yet no one in Washington Highlands or elsewhere in Ward Eight were offered any real opportunity to help shape these building plans... there was no building charette.

The District Dynamos and the Ward 8 Library Alliance present the following images which were brought to the Commission on Fine Arts. These images are still not available on the DCPL website despite them already being introduced to the CFA.

NEVER BEFORE SEEN IMAGES -- YOU WON'T FIND THESE ON DCPL'S WEBSITE YET

• As of March 17, 2009, visitors to the DCPL website will only see already developed Washington Highlands floor plans, click here.

(click the image below to see a hi-resolution version)

Please refer to the full presentation delivered by DCPL
to the Commission on Fine Arts at their February 19, 2009 meeting -- click here