Completed in 1888, Rice Public Library is a landmark in the community, offering a welcoming presence and a remarkable range of public programming. The Library was previously split between two buildings on either side of Wentworth Street in downtown Kittery, the original Rice building and the Taylor building annex that expanded the collection in 1988…. Read more »
Project Category: Library
Falmouth Memorial Library
The Falmouth Memorial Library had its beginnings in a home the Library purchased in 1951. As the demand for services and space increased, the Library constructed an addition with a meeting room and additional children and adult areas in 1995. Since the expansion in 1995, there has been a 238% increase in circulation, putting a… Read more »
Jesup Memorial Library: In Process
Construction is underway on the renovation and expansion of this historic library (12,800 SF) on the National Register of Historic Places. The 9,600 SF modern addition will create much-needed program space for the library, utilizing locally sourced CLT and glulam construction. The renovation and addition will create a larger children’s area, adult reading areas,… Read more »
Freeport Historical Society
Harrington House on Main Street in downtown Freeport serves as home to the Freeport Historical Society (FHS). The house, built in 1830, is a brick Federal-style building that until recently, included a decaying wooden ell positioned in the rear yard. While the home has been carefully preserved, it had serious limitations for the FHS program…. Read more »
Bridgton Public Library – In Process
Simons Architects began working with the Bridgton Library in early 2023. We surveyed the existing library spaces and met with the building committee, library staff, and long-time users to determine the functionality of the current building and how it could be expanded and improved for staff and patrons. The issues and needs were documented in… Read more »
Portland Public Library
A new façade and civic presence have transformed the formerly cold, foreboding library building into a vibrant, modern public resource in the center of Portland. By extending out beyond the edge of the existing building, the new façade and the (future) urban screen symbolize the bringing of library resources and information into the public… Read more »
Gould Academy Hanscom Hall Library and IDEAS Center
SA has worked with Gould Academy since 2007 on various projects, including a campus Master Plan. More recently, we have been working with them to design modern teaching and learning spaces that provide opportunities for interactions outside the classroom in small, casual unstructured gathering spaces. The first area to be renovated was the Sanborn… Read more »
Turner Memorial Library
Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle had undergone a 6,000 SF addition to their existing library, but the tight budget only allowed minimal interior upgrades. The interior spaces lacked connectivity, flow, and intimacy. Working with a modest $90/SF budget, we developed a strategy that would transform the experience of entering and moving through the library from… Read more »
Berwick Academy: Inspiration Commons
The Berwick Innovation Center provides students with an evolving program to drive their learning experience in new and creative ways. SA was hired to re-purpose an underutilized portion of their existing campus library to create a student commons and maker space that could be used by students of all ages. SA’s design concept transformed the… Read more »
Lincoln Academy: Campus Plan
Lincoln Academy wanted to update their Campus Plan to incorporate recent projects and to plan for a new Performing Arts Center. After conducting programming interviews, SA met with the building committee every two weeks over five months to review potential site improvements, building renovations and additions, and new construction. We studied connectivity, traffic patterns, academic… Read more »