Johnson County Library, Monticello Branch

Johnson County Library, Monticello Branch

We were hired in 2006 to develop a facility program statement and identify a location for the new library. When Johnson County voters approved funding in 2015, our team was selected to revise service delivery needs, update the facility program, and provide design services for what is now called the Johnson County Library Monticello Branch.

Our design for the library was influenced by more than 500 suggestions received from public meetings and the Johnson County Library website. The two-story facility features floor-to-ceiling glass along three of its four sides, a modern look designed to allow natural light and attract attention from passing motorists on Shawnee Mission Parkway. The interior takes advantage of advances in technology and incorporates flexible walls and design strategies so it can adapt to future uses and public needs in the coming decades without needing to expand.

The first floor includes:

  • Shelves and seating for new books and materials.
  • A large area for children’s materials and programming.
  • Two private study rooms.
  • An area for DVDs, magazines and other media.
  • Two large meeting rooms that could be combined to seat up to 100 people.

The second floor provides:

  • Adult fiction and nonfiction areas.
  • Teen materials.
  • A technology center with computers and areas for audio books and CDs.
  • A possible makers’ area for inventors, crafters, and other do-it-yourselfers.
  • Two smaller public meeting rooms and three additional study rooms.
  • A rooftop patio.
Stats and Results
Location Shawnee Mission, Kansas
Square Feet 33,548
Awards
  • Kansas City Business Journal, Capstone Awards – Community Impact, 2019

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