Stevens Library Featured in American Libraries Magazine

“The library itself is like this beacon of sustainability,” Mike Dwyer, chief operations officer of Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, recently told American Libraries Magazine.

A section of the outlet's feature story, which was published earlier this month, titled “When buildings teach,” explored Stevens Family Library as itself being a “teacher”—with a “building design [that] actively promotes sustainable practices among students and staffers.”

 

The library, opened in 2012, represents SHS’s commitment to sustainability and educational innovation. Serving grades P-8, the 6,300-square-foot library was designed to meet the needs of 21st-century learners while emphasizing environmental consciousness and community engagement. The library holds the distinction of being the first in the United States to earn Net Zero Energy status—in January 2015—producing more energy than it consumes. “This achievement not only eliminates utility costs but also provides surplus energy to other campus buildings,” says Dwyer.

Stevens Library integrates renewable and recycled materials, such as the wood paneling of the circulation desk, crafted from fallen SHS campus trees. Designed to promote environmental literacy, and following the aforementioned “building as a teacher” model, the library features a variety of sustainable elements, including:

 

Photovoltaic rooftop solar panels generate energy, while natural lighting and ventilation are maximized through operable skylights and windows.

A low-flow water system, water-efficient landscaping, and a bioswale—fed by rainwater collected from the library's roof—illustrate the building’s commitment to responsible water management.

A detailed mapping of the water and energy systems on the library's southern exterior wall serves as an interactive learning tool for students. This fosters awareness of the building's sustainable technologies and its real-world applications.

Stevens Library is not only a hub for academic resources but also “a hands-on learning environment,” explained SHS P-8 Librarian Alison Anson. The library promotes student involvement in sustainability efforts, including:

 

Rainwater from the roof is channeled to nourish a bioswale and orchard, where students participate in harvesting and maintaining the fruit trees. Produce from the orchard is donated to local food banks, benefiting unhoused and under-resourced individuals in the greater community.

 

The library houses makerspaces including a woodshop annex for student-led, multidisciplinary projects. These projects often incorporate sustainable practices, such as creating signage and furniture from repurposed materials. Notable projects include the construction of orchard fencing and the design of unique reading nooks within the library.

Also of note is the library’s interior design that prioritizes adaptability, with 90 percent of its space being flexible for various uses. This allows for different teaching activities, guest speakers, author talks, and community events; data ports and outlets enable easy reconfiguration for events and classroom setups. Though designed to support multiple functions, the “library maintains a primary focus on fostering a love of books and reading, with limited student-facing technology—there are only two computers in the library for student use to look up books,” says Anson, reflecting its commitment to hands-on learning.

Due to its notable sustainability efforts, Stevens Library has garnered widespread recognition both nationally and closer to home: Other schools, libraries, and government entities have visited SHS to learn from the library’s innovative design and sustainable features. The city of Atherton toured Stevens Library, engaging in detailed discussions about its features with SHS’s Operations team. Following the visit, they chose the same architectural firm, WRNS Studio, to design both the new Atherton Library and City Hall.

 

Other Sustainable Buildings on Campus
SHS’s commitment to sustainability extends across the campus with several other high-performance buildings: