This library addresses that gap. It provides a low-barrier entry point to employment, a space for education and personal growth, and a common ground where all members of the community—residents and formerly incarcerated individuals alike—can coexist, learn, and rebuild.
At the core of the library’s design is rammed earth, a material that not only reflects permanence but also fosters economic opportunity. While structurally enduring, the individual blocks will weather over time, requiring periodic repair—a process that generates ongoing, skill-building employment for the community. This material system transforms the library into more than just a building; it becomes an evolving structure that continuously reintegrates those in need of work, ensuring that the act of maintaining the library is itself a means of rebuilding lives.
The choice of rammed earth blocks resonates thematically with Auburn’s history, particularly its supermax prison and its role in the Underground Railroad. Each block represents the individual, while the structure as a whole speaks to the power of the collective—a tension deeply embedded in Auburn’s past and present.
By emphasizing digital common spaces, the library also serves as a gateway for ex-convicts to seek employment and reintegrate into society. At the same time, it offers resources for the broader community, ensuring that education and opportunity remain accessible to all.
More than just a library, this project envisions a space of reconciliation and renewal—a place where Auburn’s diverse populations can come together, learn, and build a future beyond incarceration.