The 14,000-square-foot Willie Morris Library in Jackson, Miss., is located in close proximity to the Parham Bridges Park, which is home to tennis courts, a walking track and a dedicated children’s park. The narrow, wooded site is situated next to an oxbow pond that is recharged by nearby Hanging Moss Creek. The programmatic design of the library was inspired by the community activity located around it. The architectural design, by Jackson-based Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons Architects and Engineers PA, was inspired by the trees, vegetation and animal habitats on the adjacent site. Using locally produced and regionally rich materials ensures the building speaks to the vernacular of its patrons. Architectural standing-seam roofing from API Sheet Metal LLC, Covington, Tenn., mixed shades of jumbo brick, and details of cypress wood on the siding and exterior soft bring the regional vernacular to the 21st century. The roof is 24-gauge Kynar coated architectural standing-seam roof panels, while the gutter cover is 0.050-aluminum with an EPDM cover.
The facility features oversized glazing and clerestories protected by overhangs that bring in the southern light. Glazing on the north brings in reflected light, as well as provides the patrons with the ever-changing palette of the wooded area surrounding the building. Partial roof water collection takes place in a “flying gutter” and transports approximately 30 percent of the rain water to the oxbow pond.
The concept for the “flying gutter” was sparked by architect Matthew Buchanan’s desire to provide a more aesthetic system to convey rainwater from the roof, rather than numerous downspouts. The term “flying gutter” was coined from the “flying buttress,” the architectural term for wall buttressing used in the gothic era of cathedral construction in Western Europe during the 1100s and 1200s. These structural elements evolved into more ornamental features, and began to serve a dual purpose of form and function. Likewise, Buchanan’s idea for conveying water in an unconventional way expanded into a sculptural design element for the building, both static and dynamic. Additionally, the supports for the flying gutter are an extenuation of the architectural bracketing of the building. During rainy conditions, water that falls on the roof is navigated to the gutter, and creates a dramatic waterfall viewable from inside the building due to copious glazing on the north facing elevation. At the outlet, the rainwater spills into a large drainage structure filled with gravel, to allow filtration before entering the oxbow pond.
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