The Salt Lake County Library at Daybreak is a new public project located in a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use community. The library is an anchor in the new urbanist Daybreak development that promotes local community values, prioritizes people and activates streets while still accommodating vehicular transportation.

The urban aspects of this project focus on maximizing public space in and around the new library. Public art, gardens, gathering space and even an outdoor amphitheater naturally integrated into the building’s walls line the street front blurring the boundary between the building and site. The library features ground-floor uses that physically and visually connect to the adjacent streetscape. High ceilings celebrate the visual transition between exterior and interior spaces. To create a sense of place, this project includes a universally accessible green roof that engages viewers from the surrounding balconies above. Native landscapes on the roof of this public building are always accessible and represent the rewilding of Daybreak’s dense Town Center. Ultimately, the building tops out with a solar panel shade canopy for those enjoying the public space on the roof.

The Daybreak Library distinguishes itself as a 21st-century library, a resource for the free exchange of thoughts, ideas and skills. The maker space allows patrons the opportunity for hands-on learning with tools such as sewing machines, crafting equipment, 3D and other print-making equipment. A sound studio, complete with instruments, provides an opportunity for rehearsing and recording music as well as podcast production. There is a workshop that includes an operable wall. This indoor/outdoor space is perfect for teaching skills such as bicycle maintenance, as the paths of the site tie directly into a regional trail system. The vegetated roof provides the opportunity to teach about the ecology of the surrounding trail systems.