The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Johnson Building Improvement Project will meet on Tuesday, February 26, at 8:30 a.m. in the Boston Room of the Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street.
Posts Tagged ‘Back Bay’
Johnson Building Improvement Project: Special Community Advisory Committee Meeting
Posted on February 21st, 2013 by Michael Colford in Johnson Building Study, Major ProjectsJohnson Building Improvement Project: Architect Selected
Posted on January 28th, 2013 by David Leonard in Johnson Building Study, Major ProjectsWilliam Rawn Associates has been chosen to lead the master planning phase of the Johnson Building study. The contract allows for the option to continue through formal design and construction should the project get approved to go forward either in full or in part. As is noted in previous posts, planning and envisioning meetings are underway and will broaden in the coming weeks and months to gather input from many sources including staff and members of the public. The overall project team also includes:
- Byrne McKinney & Associates for market research on commercial viability of potential space, should the library decide to include such options in the final plan.
- Pinnacle Consulting, who is assisting Byrne McKinney & Associates, and will be focused on the commercial viability of day conference space, an idea that could include refurbishment of Rabb Lecture Hall and nearby rooms.
- Engineering consulting firm TMP, who are helping to assess the health of Johnson building systems and infrastructure along with the level of difficulty involved in any substantial renovations.
It will be the task of William Rawn Associates to incorporate all of the feedback and analysis into an integrated plan while working with BPL and the city’s Public Facilities Department to narrow the options based on project goals and the library’s mission. The next six months will involve a multi-track process to develop a master plan for those sections of the building in direct project scope and those that involve relocated services.
William Rawn Associates was chosen for their extensive architectural and design experience, knowledge with public library projects in Boston, and their processes around envisioning and stakeholder engagement. Some may recognize the firm as the group that designed the BPL’s Mattapan Branch as well as the new East Boston Branch currently under construction.
Send questions about the Johnson Building project to compass@bpl.org. You are also always welcome to comment directly on this blog or send a letter to the BPL via 700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116.
Johnson Building Improvement Project: CAC Minutes & Discussion Questions
Posted on January 24th, 2013 by Gina Perille in Johnson Building Study, Library ServicesThe minutes of the January 10, 2013, Community Advisory Committee were recently shared on this blog. One of the agenda items from the meeting was a review of several discussion questions, which are included below.
We invite your comments in response to these questions, too. You are welcome to reply to this blog, send an email to compass@bpl.org, or a letter to Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116. This link to the Central Library map may be helpful in identifying specific spaces mentioned in the questions here. For previously-published information on the Johnson Building Improvement Project, visit our blog archives.
The next meeting of the Community Advisory Committee for this project is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, at 8:30 a.m. in the Johnson Building Mezzanine Conference Room.
CAC Meeting: January 10 Discussion Questions
Entry
- What are the first things you would like to see when you enter the library?
- How can we transform the lobby arrival experience?
First Floor
- What could the first floor include for a blend of uses to be a successful attraction to various age groups?
- If the question is about re-energizing the Johnson building, what are your observations about the first floor? What’s working? Where is there potential for revitalization?
Children’s
- Where do you see possible locations for the Children’s Library?
- How do we balance imperatives for security and natural light?
Conference Center
- What could you envision for components of a conference center and who do you think would use it?
- How does the absence of natural light in the basement limit its potential?
- What limitations does the 340 seat count of Rabb put on the conference center concept?
Commercial Uses
- What types of commercial uses would be most compatible with the library’s vision?
- What kind of activities would bring the most energy to the ground floor? Commercial? Non-commercial?
Exterior Changes
- How extensively should exterior changes be pursued?
- How should we maximize the level of energy on the street/sidewalk?
Deferrari (the open atrium area in the Johnson Building)
- What might be ways to energize Deferrari Hall? On 1st floor? On 2nd floor?
Compass Roundtable on Community Gathering Next Week
Posted on January 22nd, 2013 by Gina Perille in Strategic Plan
The next Compass Roundtable will take place on Wednesday, January 30, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. Join a conversation about the Community Gathering principle with David Leonard, Boston Public Library’s Director of Administration & Technology, and Mary Frances O’Brien, the BPL’s Chief of Public Services .
“Compass” is the name of the Boston Public Library’s strategic plan. Community Gathering is the seventh of eight principles that staff from the BPL have discussed with the public following the unanimous approval of the strategic plan by the BPL Board of Trustees in November 2011. The Boston Public Library engaged its stakeholders in a two-year, three-phase planning process prior to that Board approval. The final Compass principle to be discussed is the User-Centered Institution principle, which will be covered in March 2013.
Download and share the January 30 Roundtable flyer (PDF).
If you are not able to join the January roundtable, you are always welcome to leave a comment on this blog or send an email to compass@bpl.org with your ideas.
Johnson Building Improvement Project – Community Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda
Posted on January 7th, 2013 by Michael Colford in Johnson Building Study, Major ProjectsThe Community Advisory Committee for the Johnson Improvement Project will meet on Thursday, January 10, at 8:30 a.m. in the Commonwealth Salon Mezzanine Conference Room (room change made on January 9). Click the link below for the meeting agenda.
1-10-13 Johnson Improvements Project CAC agenda