Pleasant Hill Library

The new Pleasant Hill Library is sited carefully in relation to Grayson Creek and the adjacent roads and parcels including proposed sports fields, future housing, and Pleasant Hill Middle School. In addition to the ecological sensitivities of the Grayson Creek floodplain, a robust public engagement process informed site programming and landscape design. The library landscape provides a welcoming arrival for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and public transit riders, with an arrival plaza and outdoor rooms for gathering even if the library is closed. A promenade running east-west links the arrival landscape to the parking lot, street, and new creek trail running from Oak Park Blvd north to the new sports fields. Along the creek trail, the topography has been shaped to create bioretention basins that treat stormwater and accept creek flooding during heavy rain events. A fenced Activity Yard west of the building offers a flexible-use area with space for makers, classes, and children needing to blow off steam in a protected garden environment. Salvaged wood sculptures on the site create meeting points and a playful connection to the natural environment. Large native shade trees and a native, drought-tolerant plant palette celebrate the creekside landscape of this important civic project.

Location: Pleasant Hill, CA
Client: BCJ Architects
Project Size: 3 acres
Status: Completed February 2023
Role: Landscape Architect
Collaboration: Sherwood Design Engineers, RC Structural, Arborica

Awards + Recognition:

ASLA-NCC Merit Award - Community Impact Category, 2023