Puyallup Library: Teen Zone
JA’s design team worked directly with Puyallup teens to understand what they needed most. Their feedback shaped every detail, from flexible furniture and study spots to spaces that support both focus and fun.
A transparent glass wall defines the Teen Zone, offering acoustic separation while maintaining visual connection to the rest of the library. It keeps sightlines open for staff and gives teens a sense of ownership and safety.
Comfortable, mobile, and modular furniture allows teens to adapt the space for study groups, games, or hanging out. Every element supports the freedom to move, rearrange, and create a place that feels their own.
Details
LOCATION Puyallup WA
SIZE 1500 SF
COMPLETED 2025
AWARDS + RECOGNITION
2025 Tacoma Weekly
"It’s interesting to see a lot of libraries flipping their thinking about loud versus quiet. It’s such a culturally specific question: What spaces should be loud and what should be quiet? Traditionally, clients take the attitude of cordoning off the children’s area and putting some glass walls around it, to try and contain the noise. But I think the culture is shifting such that now there are conversations happening: Maybe we make a quiet area that has glass around it that’s just for the adults, and the rest of the library can be loud."
— Mona Johnston Zellers,
JA Partner, Library Journal