The Honan-Allston Branch Library addresses issues that are important to the Boston Public Library, including maximum visual connectivity, a highly accessible reading garden, off-hours access for community use, and a prominent reading room on the front of the building. The scheme divides the building into three parallel zones. The front zone contains all the active, information-gathering program components, while the rear zone contains more private meeting places. The middle zone is very transparent, with alternating gardens and glass pavilion reading rooms. By creating several small garden spaces, each reading room has access to a garden on both sides. This organization allows a beautiful specimen Beech tree to be preserved in the site. The warm material palette is made up of slate shingles and panels, rough slate blocks, and wood cladding. Natural finished wood windows are used with a combination of fixed and operable units. The interior floors are a combination of wood and cork which shares the same warm tones of the exterior materials.
