Getting High Design from a Low-Tech Approach
A particularly oversize gutter on the west side also collects runoff from the sloping, trussed roof over the plaza, which consists only of a polycarbonate sheet less than 1â„2 inch thick. The main roof is composed of a sandwiched metal deck, whose inner glass-fiber layer helps buffer the sound of falling raindrops.
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The alternating slopes of the main roof provide other benefits, as well. The raised, east-facing portions over second-floor stacks and reading areas are glazed to admit daylight. These areas also aid natural ventilation by drawing hot air up and out of the building more readily. "We wanted the building to be fresh and authentic, not a showoff," Piñol recalls. "We designed it in the most honest and direct manner we knew how.