Our renovation of the teen space at the Needham Free Public Library has been featured in Library Journal’s Year in Architecture 2026 issue, in a piece on the power of interiors.
The project began with a seven-month feasibility study for the Town of Needham, driven by extensive conversations with library staff, community members, and the teens themselves. The existing teen space was too small for the number of students coming over from the high school across the street, so the goal of this first phase was to create a larger room they could make their own.
Drawing on what we heard, we organized the 4,090 SF space into four zones: a lounge for hanging out, a craft/café area, group study booths, and a quiet work room that can be closed off for focused work. Two large millwork pieces and the stacks define the zones, and a wooden screen shields the south and west glass to cut glare and overheating, casting dappled light across the room.
Library Journal describes the result as spaces “generated by the young people’s vision,” which is exactly what we hoped for.
Read the full piece, which also features other recent library projects from around the country, here.
Thank you to the Needham Free Public Library, the Town of Needham, and the teens who told us what they needed.
Photos by Anton Grassl.
