Engineering America’s First Public Nature Library

The Anythink Nature Library in Thornton, Colorado, puts the natural world at the heart of the library experience. The first nature-based library of its kind in the United States, it was created to give local residents new ways to learn about their surroundings and get more active outdoors.

Thornton Tomasetti provided structural design services to Davis Partnership Architects for the 33,000-square-foot building, which opened on August 8 within the 140-acre Aylor Open Space.

Inspired by the Colorado plains, the library’s sweeping curves, extensive glazing and central open-air garden help the building blend with the landscape. Beyond its book collection, the library includes environmental labs, gathering and play spaces, gardens and a cafe. Visitors can borrow outdoor gear, including birdwatching and gardening kits, games and kayaks.

Parametric Modeling Supports Complex Structural Geometry

The steel-framed structure’s complex geometry, with few straight lines or square corners, presented an engineering challenge. Parametric modeling helped refine the structural system and streamline coordination and detailing, including for a sculptural steel column at the entrance. To accommodate expansive soils and potential ground movement, the design also incorporates a structured ground-floor slab supported on deep foundations.

The library’s sustainable features include more than 300 rooftop solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, water-saving fixtures and bird-safe glazing.

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