When the citizens of Waterloo, Sierra Leone, were asked what development scheme they most wanted for their community they replied without hesitation — a library. They might have chosen any number of projects: after all, their water supply was poor, their sanitation system primitive. But they believed education was the key to recovering from the Civil War, which ended in 2002.
Claire Curtis-Thomas MP was impressed. A recent twinning project between a town in her constituency — also named Waterloo — with the Sierra Leone community provided the impetus for the formation of the Waterloo Partnership. Claire approached Mark Whitby about the scheme and shortly after whitbybird signed up to coordinate the library's entire design process for no fee.
Structural engineer Paul Steen visited Waterloo in May 2006 to assess the site and discuss the brief with the local library committee. 'The whole community turned out to greet us when we arrived. They lined the streets all the way to the site. It was very humbling.'
Originally the local committee wanted to build the library on the site of an existing public square that sits between the courthouse and a council house. Paul proposed an alternative: with the library opposite the council house, the square could be preserved as a focal point for the community.
The two-storey library is designed to house up to 100,000 books. It is a concrete framed structure, square on plan, set round a large central atrium. Disability access was a key design issue, due to the high number of people wounded during the war. A feature ramp is planned for the atrium to convey a clear message of inclusion.
With no public power supply in operation, engineering solutions are required to ensure the building can perform to high standard even without energy use. Paul and his team came up with a flexible scheme that could accommodate the introduction of central electricity supply at a later stage in the building's life cycle. The ground floor is an adaptable space that may house up to 200 computers; services openings have been included.
The second storey is amply glazed: this, along with the large central atrium, ensures that no desk in the building is ever further than six feet away from a source of natural light. The roof is studded with circular chimney-shaped rooflights lined with a reflective sheeting to optimise penetration of light. For security reasons, the ground floor has smaller windows that open only partially.
The east facing façade is saw-toothed glazing with brise soleil to control solar gain. Composting toilets will use a natural ventilation system integrated into the structural design.
It is hoped the project will spur new business growth in the region and increase employment. At the very least, there is an opportunity for locals to provide aggregates for construction, as well as supplying ongoing library maintenance.
Paul is enthusiastic about the contribution engineers can make in development. "I think there's an opportunity for engineers to provide valuable services to government organisations and NGOs. These types of organisations have expertise in development; what they don't tend to have is a sound knowledge of how to act as clients on major infrastructure projects. I think engineers can be fundamentally important in that process."
