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Palo Verde Branch Library and Maryvale Community Center

Phoenix
Gould Evans and Wendell Burnette Architects

Gould Evans and Wendell Burnette make urban and social connections at the Palo Verde Library and Maryvale Community Center in Phoenix

	Photo © Bill Timmerman

By Clifford A. Pearson

Just as balancing the mind and body can create a healthy person, integrating learning and physical activity can produce a successful community hub. Such was the thinking behind the Palo Verde Branch Library and Maryvale Community Center, which opened in January on the west side of Phoenix and represents an unusual collaboration between two city agencies, the library system and the parks and recreation department, and two local architectural firms—Gould Evans and Wendell Burnette Architects. While the Phoenix office of Gould Evans—headed by Jay Silverberg, AIA—and the architect Wendell Burnette, AIA, had both established reputations for inventive responses to the desert environment, the city agencies had pursued very different approaches to architecture in the past, with the library system hiring innovative Modernists such as Will Bruder and Richärd + Bauer, and the parks department viewing building in a more utilitarian way. Like Leavittown on Long Island, New York, Maryvale started as a post–World War II suburb fueled by easy automobile access and low-interest G.I. loans. In Phoenix, developer John F. Long built not only affordable houses for returning veterans, but worked with California architect Victor Gruen to create a hospital, post office, shopping center, library, community center, swimming pool, and public park. But unlike its eastern cousin, Maryvale grew up to become a troubled community, as middle-class families moved farther out and crime moved in. Long, however, didn’t give up on Maryvale. He pushed the city to reinvest in the struggling neighborhood and helped pass a bond issue to pay for the new branch library and community center to replace inadequate existing facilities.

Gruen’s master plan for Maryvale featured a park, around which stood the hospital, shopping center, library, pool, and community center. The architects lined up the new buildings on axis with the existing pool along the east side of the site and convinced the city to grant a variance reducing the number of parking spaces from 700 to 240. Lining up the new buildings on the east edge of the site facing 51st Avenue (a major north–south road) also gave the project a strong public presence, something the city had requested. But Silverberg and Burnette didn’t want to create a wall of buildings separating the park to the west from the thoroughfare on the east, so they explored the issue of transparency in their architecture, eventually developing a design that rests a pair of metal-clad blocks on 8-foot-high bands of clear glass.

Want the full story? Read the entire article in our October 2006 issue.
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the People

Owner
City of Phoenix

Architect's firm name:
Gould Evans + Wendell Burnette Architects
3136 North 3’rd Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85013
(602)234.1140 p
(602)234.1156 f
www.gouldevans.com
www.wendellburnettearchitects.com/

Principals in charge of Design:
Wendell Burnette AIA, Jay Silverberg AIA

Project Manager:
Ron Geren

Project Architect:
Patrick Magness

Design Team:
Jenell Bass, Shawn Croissant, Jennifer Little, Jose Pombo, Scott Roeder, Matthew Trzebiatowski

Interior designer:
Gould Evans + Wendell Burnette Architects

Engineer(s):
Structural:
Rudow + Berry

Mechanical & Plumbing:
Kunka Engineering

Electrical:
Associated Engineering

Civil:
WRG Design

Consultant(s)
Landscape:
Ten Eyck Landscape Architects
www.ten-eyck.com/

Lighting:
Horton, Lees and Brogden
www.hlblighting.com

Acoustical:
Wardin Cockriel Associates
www.wardincockriel.com

Graphic Design:
Thinking Caps
www.thinkingcaps.net

General contractor:
Smith Construction Management

Interior Millwork and Custom Casework:
ForeSite Construction

Photographer:
Bill Timmerman Photography 2006
382 N. 1st Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602)420.9325

Renderer:
CAD system, project management, or other software used:
AutoCad 2000/2006
www.autodesk.com

the Products

Structural system
Steel Frame 2-Story Clear Span Volumes and
Masonry 1-Story Volumes

Exterior cladding
Masonry:
Maldonado Masonry
602-564-6622

MFR: ‘Integra’ Post Tensioned Insulated Masonry by SuperLite Masonry

Metal/glass curtainwall:
2B mill finish Stainless Steel Rainscreen over WR Grace Vycor Ultra Waterproof Membrane:

Elward Construction
http://www.elward.com

Concrete:
Exposed Aggregate Flatwork, Site Walls and Book Drop: Bowman Concrete

Ground Finished Concrete Flooring:
Architectural Polishing Inc.

Roofing
Built-up roofing:
Progressive Roofing: Built-up Asphalt Roof

Metal:
2B mill finish Stainless Steel and Book Drop Canopy:
Elward Construction
http://www.elward.com

Windows
Glazing
Glass:
1/2” laminated and 1/2" clear butt glazing:

Skylights:
Natural Light: Tubular Skylights

Doors
Entrances:
Stanley Automatic Sliding Doors
www.stanleyworks.com

Metal doors:
Hollow Metal Doors and Frames:
Ashley Doors

Sliding doors:
Aluminum Sliding Doors:
Arcadia
www.arcadiaproducts.com/

Special doors (sound control, X-ray, etc.):
Bi-Fold Door at Warming Kitchen/Concessions:
Shweiss Bi-Fold Doors
www.bifold.com/

Hardware
Locksets:
Sargent Locksets with Coastal Series ‘Sanibel’ Lever Sets
www.sargentlock.com/

Hinges:
McKinney Hinges
www.mckinneyhinge.com

Interior finishes
Acoustical ceilings:
Skinner Interior Systems
Perforated Aluminum Wall and Ceiling Panels: Alpro with Formaldehyde-Free Johns Manville Batt Insulation
www.sis-corporation.com
www.gordon-inc.com/Acoustics/

Suspension grid:
Armstrong and Armstrong Curvatura
www.armstrong.com/

Operable partitions:
Hufcor 6500 Series Operable Partition
www.hufcor.com/

Cabinetwork and custom woodwork:
OSB interior wall panels, MDF Built-in Casework with Satin Lacquer Finish, MDF Slat Ceiling:
ISEC Construction
www.isecinc.com/

Paints and stains:
ICI Paints and drywall finishes:
Pete King Construction
www.icipaints.com

Resilient flooring:
Sport Mat Flooring:
Dinoflex
www.dinoflex.com/

Sport M:
Gerflor Taraflex Sports Flooring
www.gerflortaraflex.com/

Marmoleum Flooring:
by Forbo
www.forbo.com/

ActionCush Maple Gym Flooring and Dance Floor:
Action Floor Systems
www.actionfloors.com/

Carpet:
Shaw Modular Carpet with set in
Interface Flor area rugs
www.shawfloors.com/
www.interfaceflor.com/

Raised flooring:
ASM FS Series Concrete Filled Low Rise Computer Floor
Installed by E&K of Arizona
www.e-kco.com/
www.asmproducts.com/

Furnishings

Office furniture:
Herman Miller Action Office Modular Work Stations and Herman Miller Prospects System (Manager’s Offices):
Goodman’s Interior Solutions

Aeron Chairs:
Herman Miller
Eames Mini Conference Table with Eames LCM Chairs by Herman Miller
www.goodmans.info/good_products.aspx
www.hermanmiller.com

Reception furniture:
Metal Works:
Custom Millwork
3055 S 44th St # 4
Phoenix, AZ 85040
(480) 968-8552

Custom Computer Bars
Metal Works
3055 S 44th St # 4
Phoenix, AZ 85040
(480) 968-8552

Custom Casework
Arizona Custom Millwork:
Wood Computer Lab and ‘Friends’ Book Display
1738 W Lincoln St
Phoenix, AZ , 85007-3324
Phone: 602-254-6431
FAX: 602-254-8781

Glass Quiet Rooms:
Bernie’s Brass
2326 E MAGNOLIA PHOENIX, AZ 85034
(602) 275-6255

Fixed seating:
Chairs:
Catifa Chairs: Gordon International
www.gordoninternational.com

Aalto Children’s Series Chairs and Stools:
Herman Miller
www.hermanmiller.com

Orange Slice Chairs:
Artifort
www.artifort.com/

Box and Bump Ottomans:
Dune
www.dune-ny.com

Form Chairs:
Dune
www.dune-ny.com

Eames LCW:
Herman Miller
www.hermanmiller.com

Eames Compact Sofas:
Herman Miller with
Knoll Cuddle Cloth and Protocol Upholstery
www.hermanmiller.com
www.knoll.com

De Armas Arm Chair:
Knoll
www.knoll.com

Gem Stool and Stacking Chairs:
Keilhauer
www.keilhauer.com/

Caper Chair:
Herman Miller
www.hermanmiller.com

Tables:
Werndl Emerge Touchdown Tables
Werndl Emerge 4 Place Reader Tables
Werndl Emerge Flip Top Tables
Werndl Touchdown 1-2 Place Round Tables
www.steelcase.com

Aalto Round Tables:
Herman Miller
www.hermanmiller.com

KI Trek Table
www.europe.ki.com

Other furniture:
Estey Designer Series Shelving Systems:
Tennsco
www.tennsco.com

Lighting
Interior ambient lighting / Dowlights / Wall Washers:
Lithonia Lighting Package
www.lithonia.com

RC Lurie
www.rclurie.com

OSB Wall Washers:
elliptipar
www.elliptipar.com

Dura Bay Lighting in Gymnasium:
TPG

Task lighting/Reading Tables:
Constanzina and Constanza Suspension

Lamps:
Paolo Rizzatto

Self Check-Out Queue Lighting:
Fiber Optics:
Lucifer Lighting Co.
www.luciferlighting.com

Exterior:
Aeris Pole Mounted Fixture:
Lithonia Lighting
www.lithonia.com

Winscape Tree Lights:
Winona Lighting
winonalighting.com

Controls:
Unison Dimmers and Switches
Auditorium Controls:
Electronic Theater Controls, Inc
www.etcconnect.com/

Photo Cell ControlKeeper:
PCI
www.pcilightingcontrols.com

Conveyance
Elevators/Escalators:
Otis 2-stop Elevator
www.otis.com

Plumbing:
Low Flow Fixtures:
Just Manufacturing Co.
www.justmfg.com

Barrier Free Drinking Fountains:
Elkay
www.elkay.com

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