HOWARD LAKE, MINN. — Contegrity Group Inc. has broken ground on the Howard Lake Library in central Minnesota. Designed by BKV Group, the 7,000-square-foot project marks the first net-zero library in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, according to the architect. Completion is slated for the end of 2024. The new facility will replace the current two-story building located a few blocks away where the library has operated since 1979.
As a net-zero energy building, the library will generate energy onsite using clean renewable resources in a quantity equal to or greater than the total amount of energy consumed. The many sustainable net-zero features include highly insulated foundations, walls and roofs; building and window placement for passive solar gain; and rooftop-mounted photovoltaics as the source of the property’s renewable energy. The project’s design and construction also comply with Minnesota’s statewide B3 Sustainable Building Guidelines, which establish sustainability goals for site, water, energy, indoor environmental quality, materials and construction. Minneapolis-based Precipitate provided net-zero consulting services.
The new Howard Lake Library will include dedicated book collection areas for adults, teens and children, reservable study rooms, a community room available for library use and public rental, and a story time room for children’s programming. This space, when not in use for programming, will also serve as a quiet reading room with doors opening onto a landscaped reading garden.