PROPOSAL CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP LIBRARY NEW COMMUNITY LIBRARY PROGRAM MARCH 29, 2019 29 March 2019 Chesterfield Township Library Elizabeth Madson, Director 50560 Patricia Ave. Chesterfield, MI 48051 RE: CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP LIBRARY NEW COMMUNITY LIBRARY PROGRAM 41808040 Subject: Quinn Evans Architects RFP Response Dear Ms. Madson: Our team shares the holistic mission of your library and we are privileged to be considered to lead the new Chesterfield Township Library project. We commit, with a deep knowledge base, to bring an innovative library into being – in a way that reflects and builds your community. Quinn Evans Architects (QEA) is uniquely qualified due to our depth and breadth of library design experience, our familiarity with placemaking and urban architecture, and our drive to succeed because of our passion for your goals and objectives. Additionally, QEA’s experience with your community last fall in guiding the process of site selection helps our team begin to understand your communities needs. We hope this experience will lead to a program and concept design that reflect Chesterfield and ultimately in a successful millage vote. QEA is a full-service architecture and interiors firm, which allows us to add engineering consultants to the team that are best qualified for the specific project. Peter Basso Associates (PBA) is a strong mechanical, electrical, and engineering partner whom QEA collaborates with on many of our library, museum, and higher education projects. QEA is currently designing the new Clinton-Macomb Public Library North Branch in Macomb Township with PBA. Our cost estimator is Davidson Brown, a firm with extensive experience in community scale cost estimates. QEA is currently working with Davidson Brown on several projects that have had consistent pricing in line with construction outcomes in Midwestern communities. Project leadership, library planning, and are the skills that make our team stand out as the most qualified to lead the design and programming of the new Chesterfield Library. A public library is perhaps the building that most defines a community as it is embraced as a place that is open to everyone, provides services to all, and is funded by the community. Leading the process for building a library is challenging because there are so many voices to be heard. Having led an open process which ensures people feel heard but also sets priorities, deadlines, and supports informed decisions for over a dozen public library projects, the QEA team knows how to guide a building committee, library board, and staff to a successful grand opening. 219 1/2 NORTH MAIN STREET, ANN ARBOR, MI 48103 734.663.5888 | WWW.QUINNEVANS.COM WASHINGTON, DC | ANN ARBOR, MI | BALTIMORE, MD | DETROIT, MI | MADISON, WI | RICHMOND, VA The library of today provides a very unique collection of services. It is a welcoming and safe spot for the community to come together to learn from each other and from the variety of collections and programs offered. QEA knows how to plan for such a diverse population of users and activities. One of the keys is building in infrastructure and design that allows for the known needs of today but provides adaptability to accommodate the unknown technology and library services of 2030 or 2050 or beyond. Our understanding of how library building needs have changed over the last 30 years, gives us insight into our planning for libraries today that can continue to serve their communities far into the future. Common attributes found in championship teams and highly successful organizations are a belief in the mission, willingness to work together, and a passion for the process and outcome. While we possess the expertise needed for this project, it is our passion for this rare opportunity which distinguishes us. Our willingness to lead a “best idea wins” approach with all team members and stakeholders offers a chance for creative dialogue and innovative thinking, which will yield the best solution for the community. Our approach takes time upfront to “set the stage” for the project by conducting research into the community and peer libraries with your team. This time allows for team building and goal setting that supports an open and informed decision- making process throughout the project. The programming phase focuses on work sessions to understand the collections, programs, and services that are desired in a new main library and concludes with a written program outlining the space requirements to support your unique library functions. From the program, we move to concept design to show how the spaces can become an inspiring building on your site that functions and can be built within your budget. Defining the budget is something we will work with you on from the beginning to understand the cost of the project and how this compares to what you feel the voters would support in terms of a millage to finance the project. A good example is our project currently under construction in Allegan, Michigan. The program that was created before we were hired was for a project larger than the board felt the community would support. We revised the program and developed a schematic design for a project that passed and is now being built. Our experience on Allegan and many other ballot initiatives allows our team to give direction as you undertake a public capital campaign for funding. Once funded, our services follow a more typical path with phases of design development, construction documents, and construction administration. Throughout these steps, our role is to guide you through the decisions needed to keep create a beautiful and functional new library while staying on schedule and budget. We appreciate being considered for your new library and are excited about all the opportunities it offers. We would like to thank the library building committee and yourself for conducting a transparent and equitable process. Cordially, Quinn Evans Ann K. Dilcher, AIA Principal 219 1/2 NORTH MAIN STREET, ANN ARBOR, MI 48103 734.663.5888 | WWW.QUINNEVANS.COM WASHINGTON, DC | ANN ARBOR, MI | BALTIMORE, MD | DETROIT, MI | MADISON, WI | RICHMOND, VA A SCOPE OF SERVICES Scope of Services PROJECT UNDERSTANDING We find investing in building systems which allow for adaptation due to either change in technology or user expectations yields the We understand that the library requires professional services to best long term return on investment. Good planning supported by provide the library planning and design work required to define adaptable infrastructure allows the library to change without major and support a millage campaign projected for August 2020. The capital improvements. library intends to ask for a millage that will fund the construction of a new 35,000 sf library at the recently purchased site on the We look at not only the library profession, but at what the southeast corner of Sugarbush Road and 21 Mile Road. The ideal educational and business communities have learned about design of the library will provide for a future expansion to 45,000 learning, work, and social environments. These institutions are at sf. As you select a team to get you from today to the vote and likely the front line of establishing expectations and behavior patterns to ground-breaking and grand opening, we feel it is important on learning and work which need to be addressed in the library that you understand our perspective on library service and library environment. We believe understanding “lifestyle” expectations design. influences programming and development of interior spaces. It is well documented that mobility offered by technology allows A critical component to creating a successful project begins the individuals to use libraries, coffee shops and public gathering design team having a consistent set of values and aspirations. To spaces as an extension of the office or classroom. establish this level of understanding and allow you the opportunity to see if our philosophy on libraries and approach to design align We all have personal preferences for spaces which make us work with yours; we want to give you a sense of how we think. better, be more effective or just feel better. To support this we conceptualize our programs around spaces which support learning LIBRARY PHILOSOPHY styles: alone|alone, alone|together, collaboration|together, or collaboration|social. This approach to design allows us to create a We believe our primary objective is to program, plan and design a variety of spaces which are responsive to public expectations. How library which will remain relevant for generations and will change to provide a diversity of spaces will be the core of our programing over time with the community. To achieve this goal Chesterfield and planning discussions and will yield a library capable of Township has invested time in planning and programming to helping the community flourish. facilitate your staff’s delivery of quality library service in the most effective manner. The more effective the work environment, the easier it is for library staff to dedicate resources to serving the public. QEA’s Fall 2018 Site Assessment for Chesterfield Township Library included a building and zoning test fit, review of legal considerations, along with site and environmental reports DESIGN THINKING The library should be a derivative of the community, a reflection of There is no short cut to establishing the aesthetic qualities for this its value and culture. Each owner is unique in expectations and how building and interiors. It will require a series of discussions, review they move through the approval and management process of the of precedent buildings and some site visitations. We will listen, project. To achieve success we find it imperative our team provide challenge and bring options for discussion and reflection. We do leadership and mentorship in defining the process and guiding the know that good design is a result of clarity around a single idea decision makers.