1 AIA LU|HSW Available
Topic - Hacker Architects will discuss the Citation Award winning Salem Public Library
“Remaking Brutalist Buildings – Salem Public Library“
Renewing Brutalist buildings dating back to the 1960s has become a sweet spot of the Hacker design practice—a challenging mix of sustainable, renewal, and creative problem solving that really hinges on the power of collaborative, holistic design. In the US, the widespread embrace of Brutalist architecture was a reaction to events of the time. Amidst an institutional building boom and a decade of social upheaval, the monolithic, fortified nature of Brutalism had a pragmatic appeal for growing colleges, universities, as well as municipal governments.
A half-a-century-later, these defensive and inwardly focused buildings represent the antithesis of the open, flexible environments Hacker designs today. And as they near the end of their first life cycles, these concrete behemoths pose significant challenges for their institutional and government owners. While sustainability and lean budgets argue for renovation rather than replacement, reimagining these libraries, government halls, classroom buildings, and other facilities for the next 50 years is a daunting task.
We’ll highlight key tactics we apply to make the most of renovation and deferred maintenance budgets when repositioning Brutalist structures for the future.
Presenters:
Daniel Childs, RA
Associate | Architect
Originally from Key West, Florida, Daniel completed his Master of Architecture at the University of Oregon in 2012, where he focused on the relationships between culture and place. Since joining Hacker in 2014, he has developed into a vital team member serving on some of Hacker's most iconic multifamily and civic projects. As a project architect, Daniel manages the coordination and execution of the design team's vision from schematic design through construction.
Daniel's passion for architecture is rooted in working collaboratively with stakeholders to realize Hacker's architectural vision. He has a particular fondness for adaptive reuse and renovation work that brings new life back into an older structure to serve the current and future needs of Hacker clients and their communities. Daniel sees constraints as design innovation opportunities and strives to achieve a timeless architecture dedicated to quality.
Outside the studio, Daniel enjoys cooking and camping with his family.
Laura Klinger, AIA, LEED AP
Principal
Laura is one of Hacker’s most senior Project Managers. With over 25 years of experience in civic, public, and community-oriented design, she leads Hacker’s library design teams, positioning Hacker at the forefront of design and technology innovation. She focuses on the public library’s evolving role in the community and is skilled in navigating projects with a heavy focus on community involvement and large stakeholder groups. Her expert leadership guides all recent library Hacker projects, including conceptual design projects, facilities assessments and modernization studies, renovations, and new library buildings. Award-winning Hacker projects under Laura’s leadership include Ledding Library and Mendenhall Valley Library.
Laura is active in the American Library Association, is a member Architecture for Public Libraries Core Committee, and has completed the Harvard Graduate School of Design course in Planning and Design of Public Libraries.
