December 2022: Library Building Update

Gillian’s Building Update

December 2022

Since the start of construction, Gillian Zinser has been on the ground giving us a front row seat to the construction of the NEW New Canaan Library. Gillian is the Project Manager at Turner Construction — responsible for managing all aspects of the building’s construction. She’s a true pro who makes it look easy, ensuring that every construction detail of the Library is executed to exacting standards while managing materials, machinery, and and a crew of 100+ people!

An astonishing amount of progress has been made since Gillian’s first building update only one year ago — and because of the speed and efficiency of Gillian and her team at Turner Construction, it is bittersweet for us to share that this will be her last building update as we approach the Library’s opening in February 2023. We found a few minutes with Gillian for her building update and here’s what she shared:

What has surprised you most about this project?

The Children’s Library with colorful cloud soffits — a beautiful and functional part of the design.

For every project, you learn something new because every building has new and unique details. One thing about this project that has been truly special is the attention to acoustic design details. The spaces are designed to absorb sound so that conversations won’t carry as you’re settling into a good book or tackling some homework.

A visible example of an acoustic design detail that you should look out for when you visit is the floating decorative clouds in the Children’s Library — while it won’t be obvious, each cloud contains acoustic material with sound-absorbing qualities. This feature is both beautiful and functional. You’ll also notice curved metal ceilings throughout the Library — they are a big part of what will make the space quiet and relaxing. Even now with the noise of 100 people working on site with power tools and lifts, there are spaces that are so surprisingly quiet, all thanks to the way the building was designed with acoustics in mind.

So much has happened since the fall building update — what are the latest highlights?

Just about everything we’re doing now is focused on the final finishes. We’re completing the millwork, flooring, ceilings, lighting, and specialty items like water fountains. It’s all the really cool stuff that everyone will get to see when they visit. It’s so rewarding to watch it all come together! I’m excited to share with you photos of some of my favorite spaces and features of the building.

Mezzanine & Fireplace

The mezzanine level is progressing, with millwork installation nearly complete and the living room ceiling soffits finished. Flooring installation and the fireplace surround stone is being installed in preparation for the fireplace, as shown here!

Natural Sunlight

This photo gives you a peek at the future space for the non-fiction stacks area, with the sunlight streaming through! All of the spaces have been designed to maximize the natural sunlight coming through. Even on the gloomiest days, this building feels bright. You’ll see here that we are completing the flooring and millwork installation on the upper level, closing up the ceilings, and installing light fixtures, interior stone fronts, and glass.

DOAS & Roof Screens

We started up the new DOAS (Direct Outdoor Air Supply) units on the high roof of the building, which are pictured here. Roof screens have been installed around the DOAS units to conceal the view. This is a big step in finishing the heating and cooling.

What needs to happen between now and the building’s opening?

Basically, it’s a lot of fine tuning from here with finishes on flooring, ceiling, light fixtures, interior glass, and adding furniture. This is really the most exciting part of the process because we can see everything finally start to come together. While we complete our punch list and make the transition to opening, the Library will be closed starting December 17 so that the staff can begin moving books, computers, and other materials over from the old building.

Any other news you want to share?

Yes, actually! We passed our roof inspection, which is huge! Now we can really focus on hammering out those finishing touches. I really love seeing it all come together. And, because this is my last building update, I want to shout out the talented and dedicated crew members at Turner Construction: Ty Tregellas, Bob Buckley Jr.,Ralph Edouard, Evan Schiess, and Frank Denhup. I also want to express my deep gratitude to the Library leadership and staff and the New Canaan community for their welcoming support. I look forward to bringing my daughter to the New Canaan Library when the doors open to the public. It will be a proud moment for me and so many of us who have worked on this very special project.