Westonka Library, Hennepin County

Set between a small-town main street and a wooded park, the Westonka Library invites visitors on a quiet journey from the built world into nature. Designed as Hennepin County’s first ground-up net-zero library, it blends community, sustainability, and curiosity in one seamless experience. The single-story, 12,000-square-foot building uses geothermal and solar systems to operate entirely without fossil fuels, while its passive design and native landscape celebrate Minnesota’s changing seasons.

The library’s laminated wood structure and salvaged glulam beams echo the surrounding trees, creating a warm, tactile environment rooted in place and memory. Natural light filters through clerestories, guiding visitors through spaces for reading, reflection, and gathering. Every element supports accessibility and belonging, from sensory-sensitive design to flexible rooms shaped by community input. The Westonka Library embodies a new model for how Hennepin County invests in the future, proving public space can be restorative, inclusive, and deeply connected to nature.