Beaverton City Library: Reimagining the Service Experience

18 hours ago

Organization: Beaverton City Library, Oregon
Library: Main Library
Key Contact: Dawn Borgardt, Public Services Manager
Project Focus: Approachable, flexible reimagined service desks

Beaverton City Library is a much-loved community landmark, designed by Portland-based Hacker Architects around an ‘orchard’ of graceful timber columns arching upward into a soaring wooden lattice roof. This is a deliberate nod to Beaverton’s nickname, the City of Trees. The library serves a diverse and growing community with a wide range of programs, collections and services across two floors.

The library’s existing service desks, heavy maple and granite tables with credenzas, had served their time. Imposing and immovable, they created a barrier between staff and patrons and offered none of the flexibility that modern library service demands. The team wanted something lighter, more responsive and better suited to the way they actually work.

The solution spans both floors, providing height-adjustable, ergonomic and modular service points that offer a cohesive aesthetic and adapt to the varied requirements of the library’s different spaces. Visitors entering the library are greeted by a stand-alone YAKETY YAK 102 Pod, while the main marketplace area features two YAKETY YAK 301 Counters paired together to create a spacious circulation desk. The children’s area and the adult services department upstairs each have their own counter and pod grouping.

A bold Memphis Blue upper body with a warm Spring Maple lower body ties the counters to the library’s existing timber aesthetic, while the deep Nature Black worktop adds a contemporary edge. The 102 Pods echo this palette creating a confident, welcoming presence on the library floor.

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