We’re thrilled to share that the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center has been featured as a case study in the NYC Department of City Planning’s Principles of Good Urban Design. Highlighted as an exemplary civic building, the project is recognized for demonstrating how thoughtful architecture and landscape design can strengthen community life, reflect neighborhood identity, and advance the City’s sustainability goals.
The case study showcases the library’s welcoming public spaces, its integration of indoor and outdoor environments across three levels, and its close collaboration with local environmental organizations. It also highlights the project’s innovative strategies—including energy-efficient systems, stormwater capture, and biodiverse outdoor programming areas—that contributed to its LEED Gold certification.
Completed in 2020, the library continues its long legacy as a community anchor in Greenpoint and a leading example of high-quality civic design in New York City.
Karen recently spoke as a panelist in the Architectural League of New York’s lecture series, Current Work: Revisiting Branch Libraries. Marking 10 years since the completion of the Architectural League’s Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study, this lecture explored approaches to accessibility as public libraries continue to evolve through the current work of the firms that led the Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study in 2014. Additional panel speakers included Andrew Berman of Andrew Berman Architect, and Stella Betts and David Leven of LEVENBETTS. The panel was moderated by Leah Meisterlin.
Our 2014 Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study analyzed the 207 branch libraries within the New York Public Library system, Queens Library system, and the Brooklyn Public Library system looking at data related to public and social infrastructure, demographics, growth, and resiliency. The study also included a proposal for a new co-development opportunity that includes library space, affordable housing, and retail space. Read more about the Re-envisioning Branch Libraries project here.
Our Greenpoint Library & Environmental Education Center is selected as a Finalist for the Architizer A+Awards in the Libraries category! The library is one of five projects in the world to be shortlisted for the Popular Choice Vote in this category. Please cast a vote for Greenpoint Library & Environmental Education Center to win this year’s Architizer A+ Award. Voting closes on Friday, May 27 at midnight PT.
Follow these steps to vote:
Click the button below “Cast Your Vote”
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We’re excited to see Greenpoint Library & Environmental Education Center highlighted in the Architizer article, “Beyond Bookshelves: 7 Dynamic Libraries Designed for the 21st Century.” The article discusses how libraries are evolving into collaborative community spaces that reflect changes in the way people learn and work. Architizer recognized Greenpoint for its unique interior and exterior programming and design for activities centered around environmental education.
Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center was featured in a recent posting by ArchDaily. The piece underscores Greenpoint Library as a community hub for environmental awareness, education, and activism in the Greenpoint Community, and a unique asset to the Brooklyn Public Library System.
