Indian Creek Library

The City of Olathe, located 35 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City, aimed to transform a vacant big-box store into a flexible library filled with community gathering spaces. This adaptive reuse project would repurpose acres of unused space in a central location, offering a sustainable alternative to new development.

We facilitated extensive community and client engagement in partnership with Group 4 Architecture. The community articulated the need for a beautiful, engaging destination that could bring people of all generations together and connect them with nature. The city strived for the transformation of the ubiquitous mass-retail exterior into a visual source of civic pride.

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The influence of nature and life permeate the design. The site was transformed from an abandoned asphalt parking lot into a hub of community activity connected to nature, including a popular biking/hiking trail—becoming one of the most active parks in the city.

Inspired by the dappled light of the forest floor, the faceted panels of the sunshade protect and activate the interior.

Transformation of the Library Model

The Indian Creek Library transforms the traditional library concept into a 21st Century model. Its services include a maker space, a gaming suite, a professional recording studio, and a café. Creation spaces are distributed throughout and each collection space is simply organized to allow for easy reconfiguration.