AACC’s Truxal Library receives architectural award

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The Andrew G. Truxal Library at Anne Arundel Community College received an Award of Merit from the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Philadelphia is one of the four locations of EwingCole, the architects for the project that blended renovating the original 1967 building with a 31,330 gross square-foot addition.

Entries in this annual competition are reviewed by a jury of architects from outside the area that the Philadelphia chapter represents. This year, the Philadelphia chapter’s Awards Committee selected a group of architects from San Francisco to serve as jurors.

AACC’s library project was cited for its careful approach to planning, creating an environment conducive to study and the placement of the addition relative to nearby buildings. Several of the jurors stated that they could see themselves reading or studying in the library. The Awards Committee chair mentioned several features of the physical space as being noteworthy, including the casual seating area on the second floor that overlooks the rain garden, collaborative student work areas and use of the large letters in the glass on the first floor. That lettering serves a dual purpose in helping regulate interior lighting and temperature and is just one of several features EwingCole, the college, Hess Construction and Lutz Engineering wove into the library design and construction that led to it being named a LEED Gold-rated facility.