Westfield Washington Public Library

Westfield Washington Public Library gives the community a new 45,000 SF, two-story building on nearly four acres in the heart of downtown, serving residents across the City of Westfield and Westfield Washington Township. Inside are a children’s discovery play area, quiet reading nooks placed throughout, small-group meeting rooms, home school classroom space, an on-site coffee shop, and outdoor patio seating.

The library also holds a makerspace with a laser cutter and 3D printing, a digital media lab and podcast room, and event space for up to 125 people. It works as a community center as much as a library, with room to host forums, meetings, and the local organizations that serve the area.

The Meyer Najem Advantage: 

• Delivered through a build-operate-transfer partnership, which let the city bring a 45,000 SF library online and take ownership of the finished building.
• Early collaboration with the city, developer, architect, and engineers put cost and design decisions on the table while they were still easy to change.
• A flattened roof design simplified the rooftop mechanical structure and kept the equipment out of sight from the street.
• Prefabricated ductwork, piping, and plumbing components shortened the schedule and improved safety on site.
• Downtown construction was planned around keeping sidewalks safe and neighboring restaurants and shops open and accessible.