Built for the King County Library System, the Maple Valley Library was a collaborative effort shared by R|MILLER Inc, James Cutler, and Johnston Architects. This 12,000-square-foot building sits on a heavily wooded site with exposed-board and batten-formed foundation walls. Its U-like shape was designed to minimize visual and environmental impacts, and rainwater from the shed roof is collected and directed to a concrete, ziggurat-inspired collection and filtration system. The building is simple stud wall construction with open trusses and large windows to maximize daylight. Great care was given to every phase of construction, netting the project the AIA National Gold Award.