Golden Gate Valley, Tour Virtual

San Francisco Public Library demonstrates its strong commitment to the environment with the grand opening of the new Golden Gate Valley Branch Library on Saturday, October 15th, the eighth San Francisco branch library built 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 Golden Gate Valley Branch Library:

Clean and green

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

Room for recycling

An easily accessible area is dedicated for recycling.

Good wood

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

On target

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

The Golden Gate Valley Branch Library renovation serves as a model of green construction practices, including:

Our past is present.

We've renovated this branch by preserving a valued historic resource for future generations to enjoy.

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.

A local library

We chose materials produced within this region whenever possible.

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Let the sun shine in

Windows provide natural light and reduce the use of electricity.

Pedal Power

Bicycle parking encourages library visitors to use environmentally friendly and health conscious modes of 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.

Night lights

By directing the exterior lighting we reduce light pollution to the surrounding environment.

Power Up!

When you plug in at this library you’re using energy collected by solar panels on the roof. More than 25% of this building's power is generated from the photovoltaic system.

A bright idea

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

We're in control

The lighting, temperature and ventillation systems can all be controlled within the branch.

Breathe easier

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

Clean and green

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

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.