Poughkeepsie Public Library District – Adriance Memorial Library Construction Project

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Location

Poughkeepsie, NY

General Contractor

Meyer Contracting Corporation

Date Completed

August 2009

Construction Management

The Palombo Group

Project Description

When the Poughkeepsie Public Library District needed improvements made to the Adriance Memorial Library, The Palombo Group was awarded the contract for construction management. The project came with a budget of $14,515,000 and included a new four-story addition consisting of 50,000 square feet. In order to make room for the new addition, selected parts of the existing structure were demolished. The remaining parts of the building were restored and site work was done to create new parking areas and landscaping.

The overhaul included the installation of new geothermal heating and cooling systems, the running of new utility lines to the building, the construction of administrative offices, the construction of children and teen areas, steel and stone masonry constructions, new parking, landscaping, and the creation of well fields under the buildings and new parking areas.

Of special note are the new geothermal well heating and cooling systems which operate off of the well fields. A geothermal system is exciting from a green perspective and also full of savings from a budgetary standpoint. Typically, these systems cost less than electricity generation. They also reduce the output of pollution from energy that is created by burning resources (such as trash, natural gas, oil, etc.) and eliminate the creation of toxic waste from nuclear power sources. With this type of system, water is pumped through pipelines into the Earth and then back up into the building’s system to be distributed throughout the building or to generate cooled/heated air. The water is either cooled in the summer by the lower temperature of the Earth’s lower layers, or heated in the winter by the Earth’s abundant and natural heat. This type of system ensures the comfort of the community without a high cost to the planet or the people themselves.

In keeping with the creation of a green environment, the Adriance Library was also finished with low VOC paints and finishes. This means that the off gassing of chemicals from paints and stains is kept to a minimum and that the air breathed by the community members who visit the library is clean and free of dangerous poisons. The Poughkeepsie Public Library District should be credited for their concern with the health of their community members, and the creation of a Silver LEED certified building.