Photo courtesy of KCLS The design-build team used building-information modeling to install elements of the library more efficiently, such as its foundations, structural steel and shear walls.

The BNBuilders team found tribal artifacts during the initial site excavation, a discovery that dictated the layout of the new library. The team marked areas that were to be left untouched throughout the course of construction.

BNBuilders’ design-build team used building-information modeling to show all the structural elements, including foundations, structural steel, glu-lam beam framing and shear walls. This provided the team with a thorough understanding and allowed the efficient installation of each element.

Among the value engineering ideas the team implemented were metal-framed shear walls, installed more efficiently than wood-framed shear walls, and asphalt shingles rather than metal roofing.

The facility also had many sustainable elements, including water-efficient landscaping, enhanced stormwater design and reduced water use and light pollution. BNBuilders reported zero recordable accidents and no time-loss injuries during the project.

The Muckleshoot Library was completed on a fast-track, six-month schedule that allowed the King County Library System to open the library at the beginning of the summer, just as the school year was ending.