Westonka Library, Hennepin County

Set on the main street of a small town, 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 brings together community, sustainability, and curiosity in a seamless experience. The single-story, 12,000-square-foot building uses geothermal and solar systems to operate without fossil fuels, while its architecture and native landscape reflect Minnesota’s changing seasons.

Laminated wood 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 demonstrates how a civic building can be both highly sustainable and deeply human, restorative in its relationship to nature, inclusive in its design, and grounded in the everyday life of its community.