Shirley Montgomery

A New Profile for a Familiar Building: a Carbon Neutral Public Library Branch in Union Township in Anderson, Indiana Shirley Montgomery

The profession of architecture, at the beginning of the 21st century, finds itself in a position where architectural philosophies and methodologies must respond to the world-changing events that are impacting our planet. Within a public library, architects respond to two of the primary concerns of this young century: the global need for a clean, livable planet and the proliferation of digital media and methods that are driving globalization as we are beginning to know it. Buildings can be built that use no energy from external power grids. They can be essentially carbon-neutral in their environmental load and they can be built and operated at fair market value. This book outlines some of the methodologies used to create a carbon-neutral public library branch in the author's home town of Anderson, Indiana.