The Pima County Martha Cooper Library Addition transforms a once-undersized neighborhood branch into a dynamic, inclusive civic anchor for Tucson’s Garden District. Designed by Line and Space and completed in 2024, the project nearly doubles the size of the original facility through a thoughtful expansion and comprehensive renovation, creating a bright, flexible public learning environment that strengthens intergenerational engagement, expands digital access, and reinforces the library’s role as a vital community resource.
Rooted in the ecology of the Sonoran Desert and the cultural identity of the surrounding neighborhood, the design establishes a place that is intentionally of its time and its place. The library functions as both a center for learning and a shared civic living room, offering a flexible, welcoming environment that supports evolving educational models while fostering belonging, curiosity, and community pride.
Rather than replacing the existing structure, the project embraces adaptive reuse as a central design strategy. New roof forms were carefully aligned with the original north-facing clerestory windows, dramatically increasing daylight penetration in the children’s collection area and staff workspaces. This intervention transforms the formerly dim interior into a bright, calm, and inviting space while reducing dependence on artificial lighting and supporting energy conservation goals. Existing steel from a former entry canopy was salvaged and reimagined as the enclosure for the new children’s outdoor play area, preserving material continuity between the original building and the addition.
Spatial organization establishes a clear and intuitive layout with distinct yet interconnected zones for children, teens, adults, staff, and multipurpose functions. The multipurpose room opens directly onto a shaded, tempered outdoor patio, allowing library programs, community events, and informal learning activities to flow seamlessly between interior and exterior space. To improve comfort in the outdoor room during the hot summer months, relief air from the building’s HVAC system is passively redirected into the patio, extending its seasonal usability while reducing energy waste.
Landscape design reinforces the connection between architecture and ecology. Vegetative screening walls heighten the sense of arrival, conceal service areas, and integrate native desert plantings into the building’s identity. Rainwater and HVAC condensate are captured and directed to bioswales that irrigate the landscape, reduce runoff, and support a low-water planting strategy adapted to the Sonoran Desert climate.
Throughout the project, architecture serves as a tool for social equity and well-being. Barrier-free circulation, clear wayfinding, improved acoustics, and generous daylight create an environment that supports users of all ages and abilities. Following construction, the immediate return of birds, pollinators, and native wildlife confirmed the project’s positive environmental impact and strengthened the relationship between interior space and the surrounding landscape. Today, the expanded Martha Cooper Library stands as a resilient civic landmark and a lasting framework for learning, gathering, and shared experience in Tucson’s Garden District.
