The Douglas County Libraries system consists of seven branches serving 296,000 residents in the Colorado communities of Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Lone Tree, Roxborough, Castle Pines, and Louviers.

In 2015, OPN Architects was tasked with evaluating the current space utilization for four libraries: the Highlands Ranch Library (HRL), Castle Rock Library (CRL), Roxborough Library (RL), and Louviers Library (LL). As part of the process, OPN facilitated two open forums for each library to explore design ideas and concepts with staff. The team also analyzed the current layouts and space utilization, explored design concepts for modifying, and in some cases, expanding the current facilities, compared square footage of the current layout and new design concepts, and prepared furniture plans and cost models for the preferred concept(s).

In 2017, OPN Architects returned to Douglas County to work at both the Highlands Ranch Library in Highlands Ranch and Castle Rock Library in Castle Rock. The DCL system’s long-term goal is to create a cohesive brand throughout all seven branches around the common themes of retail, family, classic, civic. Work at the Castle Rock Library in Castle Rock included space planning services to develop a vision and macro program to determine the extent of a renovation and new addition to the existing 46,000-square-foot library.