Overlooking Shoal Creek and Lady Bird Lake, the new Austin Central Library is a building shaped by light and designed to respond to the context of its place. The client and project team set aspirational sustainability and design metrics for the project, including two key goals: It would be the most day-lit library in the country, and it would serve as a water conservation model for institutional buildings. Serving as the new western portal to downtown, the library establishes a major civic presence and community gathering space in the heart of Austin.