Anza Virtual Tour

San Francisco Public Library demonstrates its strong commitment to the environment with the reopening of the renovated Anza Branch Library on Saturday, June 18th, the second San Francisco branch library renovated to Gold certification standards under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

Among the green features at the Anza Branch Library:

Preserved for the future

Most of this building's existing exterior is preserved in this renovation. This extends the structure's lifecycle, conserves resources, reduces waste and the environmental impacts of new building materials while retaining a cultural resource.

A local library

Over 20% of the value of the building products and materials used are sourced locally – extracted, manufactured, and recovered within 500 miles of this library.

Night lights

We avoid using unneeded lights at night to reduce light pollution.

The Anza Branch Library renovation serves as a model of green construction practices, including:

Waste not

We recycled or salvaged at least 75% of the construction waste when building this library.

Breathe easier

The paints, adhesives and sealants in this building contain only low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC), reducing the amount of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, potentially irritating or harmful.

Pollution prevention

We controlled soil erosion, waterway sedimentation and airborne dust generation during construction activities.

Let the sun shine in

Windows provide natural light and reduce the use of electricity.

Room for recycling

An easily accessible area is dedicated for recycling.

A fresh idea

Windows that open allow for natural ventilation, improve indoor air quality and eliminate the need for artificial air conditioning.

Transit friendly

This library is conveniently located near public transportation.

Taming the temperature

We use roofing and exterior paving materials that reduce the heat island effect (thermal gradient differences between developed and natural areas). This minimizes our impact on the microclimate and on wildlife habitat.

Pest prevention

We are carefully managing pest problems to minimize health and environmental risks.

A bright idea

High performance lighting fixtures use less electricity and need to be replaced less frequently.

On target

"Commissioning" is a testing process that verifies that all the building’s mechanical and electrical systems are installed, calibrated and performing efficiently.

Climate controls

Zero chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-based refrigerants are used in the building's heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems.

Breathe deeply…

You can because this wood composite is made without formaldehyde (which gives off harmful fumes that can cause breathing problems).

Clean and green

We use environmentally sound products and practices for cleaning this Library.

Flourishing flooring

Made from natural ingredients including flax seeds, sawdust and pine resin, this linoleum comes primarily from renewable resources and is biodegradable.

These beautiful wooden shelves are original to this building

Instead of using new materials, we refinished these durable shelves so that we could continue to use them.

Lowering the flow

Efficient fixtures such as low-flow faucets reduce water usage by 35%.

Good wood

We use regionally sourced and rapidly renewable materials, such as Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood.