Upper Coomera Branch Library, Queensland, Australia

Name of the Library: Upper Coomera Branch Library
Parent Organisation: City of Gold Coast

Street Address: Corner Reserve and Abraham Roads, Upper Coomera, Queensland, Australia
Postal Address: PO Box 5042 GCMC, Qld 9729, Australia
Telephone : 61 7 5582 9300
Web Address: cityofgoldcoast.com.au/library
Library Email: upclibrary@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

Type of Library: Multipurpose building
Population served: 22,816
Project Type: New Building
Size (square metres): Library 1,004m2; Integrated facility 4000
Date of Completion: 2013
Architect: City of Gold Coast and Daryl Jackson Architecture

Description
The Upper Coomera Branch Library opened 29 April 2013, and is a key feature of Upper Coomera Centre provided by the City of Gold Coast. There are a range of services in the one location provided for convenience and accessibility including:
• Community Centre including multi-purpose hall, five meeting rooms, youth space (including recording studio), arts space, computer lab and Non-Government Office space
• Recreational aquatic facility including recreational pool, with toilets and leisure rooms for a variety of activities, and children’s’ water play
• Councillor Office
• Commercial café with alfresco space
• City of Gold Coast Customer Service Centre
• Anzac Memorial
• Large common foyer space utilised for functions and activities
• Semi commercial kitchen
• Outdoor space that provides a natural amphitheatre for performance and other activities

The Upper Coomera Centre is an innovative design and includes a range of sustainability initiatives such as solar hot water, harvesting of rain water for use in toilets, air conditioning and irrigation, efficient lighting, ‘low e’ glass, water efficient plumbing fixtures, external shading devices and efficiencies in air conditioning. The site has been developed so as to be sympathetic to the existing land form and vegetation.
The central location makes the facility accessible by both public transport routes and major arterial road for vehicles. It is a single level building, for ease of access by all user groups, and includes features such as Braille signage, and access ramps in the pool. The Centre is located within walking distance to four large K-12 schools, and services a demographic that is predominantly young families.

The library features large expanses of glass, providing a sunny, welcoming community space with a range of comfortable seating throughout to encourage the use as a social meeting space. The collections and layout of the library reflect the demographic, including separate areas each for young children, juniors and teens. In addition to public access PC’s customers are able to take advantage of the free wifi and readily accessible power points to utilise their own devices to access the internet and online resources available through the library.
Library programs target all segments of the community, ranging from regular children’s programming through to family history and computing courses for adults. A range of sessions target children in the after school and school holiday periods with many activities aimed at encouraging children to engage with literacy and learning in a fun way. The library also works in partnership with local service providers to provide sessions such as job searching, parenting and financial literacy courses based on community need. In addition the library works with community based organisations such as Pacific Arts and Cultural Heritage Inc. to provide programs such as Waitangi Day celebrations for the local Maori community.

The library is open 53 hours per week, Monday to Saturday. Usage of and visitation to the Centre is growing rapidly and consistently. In the first year of operation the library registered over 10,000 customers and averaged over 800 visitors per day. Of the 11,500 people attending library programs, more than 8000 people were attracted to the 350 storytelling activities. More than 20,000 people utilised the public wifi, in addition to 21,000 hours of public PC usage.

Awards, case studies, further information
2014 Parks and Leisure Queensland Regional Awards of Excellence – LiquidBlu Award for Leisure Facilities (http://www.parksleisure.com.au/regions/qld/regional-awards-of-excellence )
Master Builders Queensland Gold Coast Housing & Construction Awards 2014 – Sporting & Community Service Facilities $5 million – $20 million

More information regarding Upper Coomera Centre http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/community/upper-coomera-centre-6315.html

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Helensvale Library, Queensland, Australia

Helensvale Library main entry. John Mills Photography

Library Name: Helensvale Branch Library
Parent Organisation: City of Gold Coast

Street Address: Cnr Lindfield Road and Sir John Overall Drive, Helensvale, Gold Coast, QLD 4212 AUSTRALIA
Postal Address: PO Box 5042, GCMC, QLD 9729, AUSTRALIA
Telephone: + 61 7 55811625
Web address:https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/library/default.html
Library Email:hellibrary@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

Type of Library: Medium size town library ,Multipurpose  building
Population served:
Project Type: New Building
Size (square metres): Building 4895m2 Library space: 2437m2
Date of Completion: July 2013
Architect: Lahznimmo architects

John Mills Photography

Description
Opening in July 2013, Helensvale Branch Library and Cultural centre is a city first for the City of Gold Coast. Incorporating a large multi-level branch library, 208 seat auditorium, Media Lab, Recording Studio, Dance/ rehearsal rooms, community meeting spaces and Divisional Councillor’s office, this building provides the community access to a range of City services in one location.

In addition to a large library with a collection of over 110,000 items, the building encourages increased community engagement through access to a range of other service and facilities. The building has a large open public piazza and internal foyer space called the Neighbourhood Room and this space, while connecting the range of services available, is also used to host a variety of activities for the community and private organisations.

Helensvale Branch Library houses the Gold Coast Media Lab. The Media Lab is a digital design and innovation space and is available to residents to work individually or collaboratively on digital projects. The Lab also offers 3D printing to the public using a Projet 260c conceptual model making printer. The 3D printer is a manufacturing quality printer and offers the community access to advance 3D technology and is the first publicly available 3D printer of its kind in Australasia. The Media Lab offers a range of advance computer training programs to the public including 3D design, graphic design, audio visual creation, web design, coding and app creation.

Through spaces like the Media Lab, Recording Studio and Auditorium, City Libraries has had the opportunity to develop and promote creative and cultural opportunities through partnerships with local agencies and groups. City Libraries has supported the first “artist in Residence” youth theatre and the development of a theatre development program through use of the auditorium and library spaces for rehearsal and performance space. The Media Lab has supported a local design artist to produce an augmented reality sculpture and is supporting local business through access to digital resources. In turn these partnerships have allowed the Library to deliver advanced library programming to customers including 3D design and web creation workshops.

The branch library has a large youth demographic within its community and as part of its focus has worked on improving engagement with people aged 0 to 20. With a purpose built children’s area (including its own slide), the library encourages children to engage with the library in a fun and new way. The library’s regular children’s literacy programmes frequently have over 60 children attend each weekly session.

In addition to the regular children’s programming, the library engages with the teen demographic through encouraging the library as a study and social meeting place. The library successfully delivers teen programming throughout the year including weekly drop-in events, yoga sessions and after-hours teen only sessions in the library. In May 2014, Helensvale hosted the inaugural Gold Coast Teen Tech Week event. Over 90 teenagers engaged with the Tech Week events including coding, app creation, music editing, 3D design and printing and an online gaming challenge.

Monthly, on average, Helensvale Branch Library provides library service to 25,500 people, loaning 55,000 items to customers and delivers 50 events to an audience of 900 people.

Helensvale children’s area. John Mills Photography.

Awards, case studies, further information
• March 2014: Lahznimmo architects and Complete Urban receive Public Architecture Commendation for Helensvale Branch Library and Community Cultural Youth Centre at the AIA 2014 Queensland Regional Architecture Awards Gold Coast & Northern Rivers.
• Architecture and Design: Learned architecture: Australia’s best new libraries for 2014,
• ArchDaily article on building
• Article written by architect