A sunny exterior view showcasing a rustic log cabin next to a contemporary building with rusted metal and layered rammed earth walls. A stone pathway leads between them, bordered by lush grasses, a large boulder, and a wooden bench, all casting long shadows under a blue, cloudy sky.

Sublette County Library

Pinedale, Wyoming

Service

Architecture

Type

Public + Cultural

Location

Pinedale, Wyoming

Photography

David Swift

The addition to the Sublette County Library serves as a counterpoint to the existing library (also designed by CLB), a vernacular log structure with a nostalgic link to the past. The new building does not emulate the old building, but works in contrast to it, offering an alternative, present-day architectural solution that complements, rather than copies, the original. To minimize disruption of the existing facility, the new building lightly touches the old, creating a shared courtyard, a contemplative space offering sheltered reading and seating areas.

Modern building exterior showcasing textured rammed earth walls, weathered steel siding, and an exposed wood beam roof. Large reflective windows and green landscaping are visible under a bright blue sky.

The addition runs parallel to the existing library on a north-south axis, with a new entry on the south side. A very constrained site between the existing library and firehouse created the context for this long, narrow building including a community meeting room, gallery, western collection library, and administrative offices.

The library is the first public building in the country to employ insulated rammed-earth walls for maximum energy efficiency in an extreme high-altitude climate. Rammed earth was selected because of its thermal qualities, local use of material and for its tactile quality.

Textured rammed earth wall with distinct, undulating horizontal layers in warm reddish-brown and terracotta tones, topped by a light concrete section.

Contemporary building entrance featuring rammed earth walls and corten steel paneling. A textured concrete pathway is bordered by lush ornamental grasses, large natural boulders with integrated wooden benches, and colorful flower planters, all under a bright blue sky.

Other sustainable strategies were employed including photovoltaic panels, daylighting systems, a super insulated building enclosure with high performance glazing, selected reclaimed materials, and a high reflectance roof membrane.

Tall, slender bronze sculpture of an upward-stretching figure on a lush green lawn, with a modern building featuring a layered, reddish-brown rammed earth wall and a sloped roof in the background, surrounded by trees and rocks under a blue sky.

Project Leads

Kevin Burke AIA, LEED AP

Partner

Eric Logan FAIA

Partner