Library Buildings around the World

CDFL – Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons, Architects and Engineers PA – Jackson,
Mississippi – USA
http://www.cdfl.com
Libraries:
Thad Cochron National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, Oxford – USA
2008
A center for primary research in the utilization of natural products, the Cochran Center for Natural Products Research totals
115,000-square feet developed in nine separate design/construction packages over a ten-year period. As a primary discovery unit, the
center is designed to address completely unknown chemical and biological elements and to contain all potential hazardous elements
as investigations proceed. Safety and research integrity, critical to the center’s success, had a major influence on the design of the
facility. The laboratory component contains bio-safety work areas, entomology and environmental chambers, synthetic chemistry
sections, cold labs, a scientific library, plus centers for agronomy and microbiology. An animal center houses twenty-five principal
investigation suites with complete support operation, including surgical, necropsy and care centers. The facility also includes a
material intake suite to categorize collected specimens, and a full conference center. Joint Venture with Laboratory Research Group.
(CDFL)
Willie Morris Library, Jackson, Mississippi – USA 2004 – 2006
The Willie Morris Library in Jackson, Mississippi is located on land donated to the City of Jackson by the Entergy Corporation for
the sole purpose of providing a permanent building for the city’s most utilized library branch. The narrow, wooded site is situated
next to an ox-bow pond that is recharged by nearby Hanging Moss Creek. The architectural design draws inspiration from the trees
and vegetation that are common to the site as well as the region. Architectural standing seam roofing, mixed shades of jumbo brick,
and details of cypress wood on the siding and exterior soffit fuse modern elements with the regional vernacular. Unique design
features ensure an informative and enjoyable experience for library patrons. Oversized glazing allows a visual melding of the
wooded area surrounding the building with the interior of the library. Clerestories protected by overhangs provide copious southern
light to the reading area. Patrons are offered a variety of seating options from comfortable sofas to more traditional tables and
chairs as well as computer alcoves for word processing and Internet access. The children’s collection area plays on the outdoor,
woodland vocabulary incorporating forest creature footprints in the design of the carpet, tree-shaped cutouts in the furniture and a
“cloud” canopy to foster imagination and curiosity. A “flying gutter” feature collects and transports approximately thirty percent of
roof water to the ox-bow pond next to the building creating an uncommon waterfall on rainy days. Circulations have increased by
approximately 30% and the building is poised for more volume and service expansion. (http://www.dcd.com)
Galtney Center for Academic Computing, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi – USA 2002
The Galtney Center for Academic Computing is the end result of a complete interior and exterior renovation of the two-level
reinforced concrete structure formally called Weir Hall. The project also includes new classroom additions and landscaped plazas
linking the facility to adjacent student activities. The first floor houses the core components for the building, including seminar
rooms, administrative offices, student and professor help desks, a 24-hour coffee café, and the student computing center or “virtual
library”. The second floor contains additional administrative offices and classrooms. Upon its completion in 2003, this project was
awarded an American Institute of Architects/Mississippi Chapter Honor Citation for design excellence. /CDFL)
Centerbrook, Centerbrook, CT , Architects and Planners – USA
http://www.centerbrook.com
Libraries:
Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Kroon Hall, New Haven, CT – USA 2009
Kroon Hall is a landmark in sustainable green design (Yale University)
"We love our new Kroon Hall. It is not only a feast for the eyes but a joy in which to work. Thank you for your inspired vision and
execution." James Gustave Speth, Former Dean, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University
Kroon Hall is Yale's greenest building, LEED Platinum certified, and a flagship for the university’s commitment to sustainable
ideals. It is designed to use 50 percent of the energy of a comparably sized, efficient modern building. The new home for the School
of Forestry & Environmental Studies joins with two adjacent buildings to create a new unified campus within a campus, establishing
a highly visible center for the study of the environment at Yale. Kroon Hall received extensive media attention in 2009, its first year
of operation, and seven design awards, including an AIA New England Honor Award and a prestigious national green building
award that will be announced officially later in 2010. Constructed of stone, concrete, steel, and glass, it is sited between two neo-
Gothic buildings on Yale's Science Hill. It forms two new courtyards, reintroducing the collegiate urban fabric of Yale’s core
campus to Science Hill. The gabled roof recalls its neighbors while integrating photovoltaic solar collectors and skylights. The end
walls are glass with wooden screens that offer sheltered views in both directions. The top floor is a cathedral space housing a
conference center with large lecture hall, classrooms, and a cafe. The middle floors accommodate faculty offices, while the bottom
floor has more classrooms and a library that lead out to the lower courtyard. The Platinum Rating from the U. S. Green Building
Council is the highest attainable. Sustainable features include solar photovoltaic panels, ground source heat pumps, displacement air
systems, high thermal retention, daylight harvesting, energy recovering ventilation, a rainwater collection and cleansing pond, a
green roof, and recycled, local, and sustainable building materials. Centerbrook as Executive Architect collaborated on the project
with the Design Architects, Hopkins Architects of London and an all-star team of consultants including ARUP engineers, atelier 10,
Nitsch engineering, Kalin Associates, and Olin Partnership. (http://www.centerbrook.com)
Yale University, Lewis Walpole Library, New Haven, CT – USA 2007
The Lewis Walpole Library, a department of Yale University Library, is an internationally recognized research institute for
eighteenth-century studies and the primary center for the study of Horace Walpole, the English man of letters. Wilmarth Sheldon
"Lefty" Lewis, a pre-eminent scholar of Walpole, gave the collection along with his eighteenth-century Farmington, Connecticut
estate to Yale University. This posed a quandary for Yale since the historic house would be difficult to preserve if modified to
accommodate the larger spaces and the controlled environment that the collection required. Centerbrook's solution was to create an
attached 'barn' with state-of-the-art systems. The 13,000 square foot addition includes a spacious reading room, modern collection
storage, and innovative staff and conservation workspaces. The addition is in the tradition of connected Connecticut farm buildings,
and fits a large building into an historic neighborhood. It preserves the existing historic frame house, retaining its residential image
and scale. The library and other twentieth-century additions to the original building were restored and renovated to accommodate
exhibits, classes, and social events. (Centerbrook)
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