e’ll now skip a few years ahead. Partly because the whole thesis experience had left such a bad taste in my mouth, I felt that I must leave the Bay Area in order to get a new start. I reckon I’m also a Maoist in the sense that I really believe that a person need to be in a constant state of revolution and upheaval to advance ahead in the journey of life; this includes, among other things, changing areas of study, learning new skills, trying out different professional roles, and most importantly, moving to different places around the world. Since it didn’t know many people there, and because of its distance from my friends and family, Seattle was a perfect math for me. It also didn’t hurt that I enjoyed dark, grey weather accompanied by a beautiful forested landscape of mountains, lakes, islands, harbours, and inlets.

fter about a year stint of working in the large Seattle firm of LMN Architects, I settled into the tiny firm of Buffalo Design, where for better or worse, it felt like being in a family. Part due to the nature of working in a small design office, the reason I resume the survey of my work here instead of the previous firm is that I felt I was more actively involved in all aspects and phases of whatever project I’m involved in here than before. Perhaps someday I may revisit here some of the LMN projects I worked on, but for now, let's just stick to the 'greatest hits.'

uffalo Design specialised in relatively small-scaled community libraries and educational facilities, and this library for the town of Monroe in western Washington nicely exemplifies the type and scale of projects the office took on. The programme for the 20,000 sq. ft. building also includes a multi-functional meeting room that functions as a community centre. To enlarge the site plan below, click on image.

Floor plan of the interior is provided here, if you're into that sort of thing. (Click image for enlarged, non-cropped version of plan.)

A view of those crazy tree trunk columns holding up the exterior canopy at the entry.

Detail view of the circulation material return receptacles.

elow is a view of the library’s south elevation. More than any other factor, the design of the building takes its cues from its specific context. Across the street from the town’s modest government buildings, the northern exposure presents a bold civic countenance that allows the library to open up with large expanses of glazing, along a prominent, curving brick wall. In stark contrast, the south side of the building faces a forest, and the building’s pitch slopes downward to a more intimate scale in deference to nature. The south elevation’s deep overhangs mitigate the strong, high-angled sunlight of southern exposures, while its trunk-like support columns echo the wooded environment of the site.

nother view of the north elevation that faces the town's government buildings across the street. Taking advantage of the diffused lighting of northern exposures, the tall windows generously daylight the interior (important in this relatively dark and cloudy corner of the States), while presenting a civic character.

ere's a view of the children's area facing south elevation's undulating, curving storefront window system, that reflects the wooded, secluded nature of the south side of the site.

ow the library building negotiates its various site conditions can be discerned from its sections (click image to enlarge).

ncidentally, for the record, I took on this project from design development phase onward while working with Buffalo Design principals and colleagues Chris Carlson, Lisa Roberts, Homero Nishikawa, and Julia Cygan.