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The design reflects the low-slung, one-story context of the surrounding neighborhood, with a dynamic massing that celebrates the cultural role of this civic institution and expresses the primary functions of the library—reading areas, a community meeting room and administrative offices. This project from the archives was designed by our Mithun | Hodgetts + Fung studio in Culver City. 📷: Tom Bonner

Posted: 12.09.2021

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Built on the site of a firebombed market that had stood empty since the 1992 LA Riots, the Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch Library is armored to provide a secure space for children and community members, with all fenestration positioned above sight lines. Since its opening in 2004, the library has become a source of community pride and symbol of rebirth. Community participation in the design process yielded a design vocabulary that honors African-American cultural traditions and creates a memorable icon for the resurgent neighborhood. Designed by our Mithun | Hodgetts + Fung studio in Culver City. 📷: Tom Bonner

Posted: 12.09.2021

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At the Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch Library in Los Angeles, a sculptured copper-clad cornice maximizes natural light—allowing it to travel through large clerestory windows and deep into the reading areas. Robin Givens, a local grade school teacher, led the creation of a mural and feature tiles that appear on the building façade shown here. The branch is named after a pioneering librarian who joined the Los Angeles Public Library in 1927 and was a recognized expert in Black History. This project was designed by our Mithun | Hodgetts + Fung studio in Culver City. 📷: Tom Bonner

Posted: 12.08.2021

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Connecting Education with Ecology. Building roof forms at Teton Science Schools Jackson Campus echo underlying geologic strata and shed snowmelt away from habited outdoor spaces, allowing architecture to participate in the educational process. Staggered building masses are positioned to gently navigate the dramatic site topography and accommodate elk and mule deer migration patterns. Designed by Mithun in collaboration with Hawtin Jorgensen Architects. 📷: Eckert & Eckert

Posted: 12.04.2021

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Reunion with the Natural World. On the ceremonial occasion of a funeral, Beth Israel Chapel offers a rare, dignified encounter with the natural world—weather, seasons, the passage of time, breezes, birdsong. Sophisticated passive design techniques create a comfortable outdoor shelter and a tranquil sanctuary in Houston’s harsh heat and humidity. This project from our archives was executed as Daniel Solomon Design Partners with Gary Strang. 📷: Tim Hurley

Posted: 12.03.2021

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Situated above the edge of Mission Creek under a canopy of specimen oak and sycamore trees, the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion serves as a gateway to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s outdoor learning areas. The pavilion’s organic shape is informed by the habits of butterflies, which are unable to navigate out of 90-degree corners. The new structure and grounds are designed for reconfiguration to accommodate rotating exhibits, events and educational programs about local native habitat, environmental stewardship and connecting children with nature. Designed as Schacht Aslani Architects, in association with DJA Architects. 📷: Matt Wier

Posted: 12.02.2021