Pitkin County Library

ASPEN, CO

 

In the fall of 2013, Snowdon & Hopkins Architects was hired to remodel the Pitkin County Library and design a 10,000 sq. ft. addition. The library board unanimously chose to hire them, replacing another architecture firm who worked on the project for 4 years, because of S&H’s unique process including a user-centered research and ecological survey phase.

To date, the project has exceeded expectations. The board originally felt unsure of the additional pre-schematic phase, referred to as “phase 0.” However after completion of phase 0, a board conversation concluded that the team captured “the human aspect of the project” and that “more progress was made in one month than in four years of working with the other architect.” Once the schematic design phase was started, progress was rapid. Two weeks into it, the project was already five weeks ahead of schedule because the insight-based direction increased the rapidity with which decisions, pleasing both the client and community, could be made. Additionally, the community response has been much improved compared to the prior effort. The project was completed in June 2016.