Immersion Studio was a crash course in designing a building, from programming and site analysis all the way through interior finishes and furniture selection.

From my program, several points emerged that would guide the design process. The first was a progression of spaces from public, open, and noisy, to private, closed, and quiet. The second was an emphasis on the library as a storefront, incorporating changing signage and displays. The third was a capitalization on the already strong branding of the Cincinnati public library system.

The design is executed in reinforced concrete, addressing the busy intersection with window displays and a courtyard. As the patron moves upward, they become more removed from the outside world as the focus is turned inward. The fourth floor is clad in zinc panels, with small windows framing views of the woods and the sky, along with a reading garden closed to the world around but open to the sky.

The library branding becomes part of the building's façade, calling attention at both the urban and human scale.