Maplewood
Memorial Library
Sage and Coombe is currently working with the town of Maplewood, NJ to expand and renovate their existing facility.
The current library, built in 1956 and expanded in 1969, is susceptible to flooding and no longer meets the needs of the community. The project is currently under construction after a community-driven design process and public fundraising.
After a three-tiered selection process that included more than two dozen firms, the Maplewood Memorial Library engaged Sage and Coombe to double the size of their existing masonry library and bring it up to 21st-century library standards, including full accessibility and LEED certification, all within the historic footprint of the existing library.
The building will be all-electric and have a solar array on the roof that supplies 59% percent of the Library’s needs. Sited adjacent to Olmsted’s Maplewood Memorial Park, the design required submission to SHPO for final approval. Now in construction, the project includes site improvements using native species in the areas surrounding the Library.
While respecting the first-floor masonry walls, the design team added a second floor using a combination of bird-friendly glass, wood battens, green roofs, and photovoltaics. The interior features a soft natural palette of edge grain wood floors, wood trusses, and subtle gray carpet patterns, highlighted by brightly colored accent carpet and furniture selections. This project aims to achieve a LEED Gold certification and exceeds current flood design standards.
