Library Buildings around the World

lighting throughout, and with stone cladding sourced from the same regional mine that provided materials for the original civil warera
campus. Project Type: Addition and Renovation, Size: Existing: 72,000 gsf, New 46,000 gsf, Construction Cost: $8,353,889
Completion Date: 1998 (Perry)
Pfeiffer Partners Architects Inc., Los Angeles, CA.New York, NY – USA
Pfeiffer Partners is a leader in the planning and design of library facilities world-wide
http://www.pfeifferpartners.com
University of California - Santa Barbara, Davidson Library Addition and Renewal, Santa Barbara, CA –
USA 2014
Size: 150,000 s.f. (60,000 s.f. new; 90,000 s.f. renovation)
Pfeiffer Partners programmed and designed the addition and revewal of Davidson Library, the main library at UC Santa Barbara,
which serves 18,800 students and 1,000 faculty members in addition to the surrounding community. The existing library was initially
built in 1952, with an 8-story addition in 1967 and a 4-story addition in 1978. The project expands the library by 60,000 sf on the
north side of the original building, and renovates the 90,000-sf two-story portion of the existing building to accommodate the
growing campus population and library collection. The library supports research collections, digital services, and instructional
functions, along with significant special collections. The expanded library includes a 24-hour access area, 2,700 user seats in a variety
of casual and study arrangements, seminar rooms, an exhibit area, and a new entrance intended to link the east and west
quadrangles of the campus. (Pfeiffer)
Seattle University, Lemieux Library & McGoldrick Learning Commons Renovation and Expansion
Seattle, WA – USA 2010
Size: 120,000 s.f.
Pfeiffer Partners programmed and designed the renovation and expansion of the A.A. Lemieux Library at Seattle University,
originally constructed in 1966. LEED Gold-certified, the project expands the library by 33,000 sf to better serve its 7,751 students,
653 faculty, and the surrounding community, incorporating new media development functions, academic support space for teaching
and learning, new technology-rich spaces, a distance learning environment, and improved library instruction spaces. The expanded
library accommodates more than 1,000 seats and 380,000 volumes to support the 15-year acquisition growth rate of the library. It
features centers for media, instructional design/multimedia development, student success and technology training, 24/7 study areas,
interactive "smart" classrooms, a 48+ person flexible instruction room, a café, a range of group study rooms, five distinctive reading
rooms including a richly-appointed grand reading room, and a special collections archive and reading room. The three-story
addition enhances the connection between the library and the adjacent student union and campus green, connecting with the
academic center of the campus to create a defined student precinct. (Pfeiffer)
When Seattle University leadership took on its largest single capital project—expanding the campus library to encompass a learning
commons and create a campus hub—it created a landmark knowledge resource for the future that engages and inspires students
today.
The goal was to create a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold environment that provided a collaborative,
stimulating experience for users. Inside, students would find quiet and active spaces; an array of artwork (including works by Henry
Matisse); computer labs; book, journal, media, and special collections; the university’s first media production center; smart
classrooms; and academic support services like the writing center, research consultation, math lab, and tutoring and study
assistance. Outside, students would be drawn to equally compelling spaces for socializing, studying, and ­exploring.
One judge had this to say: “This project is replete with superb spaces. While the details are well conceived, they are not
overwrought. The conflation of architecture, landscape, and art makes for a beautifully sinuous project.” Mithun was associate
architect for the project.
A complicated task
Still, it wasn’t easy to accomplish. A complicated ten-year project grew the original 1966 library by 33,000 square feet without losing
what stakeholders loved the most—the original veined white marble façade and double helix staircase that integrated a plethora of
services into one facility and created linkages to nearby buildings while retaining habitual pathways.
The white marble façade was retained as an interior wall and made visible by glass curtain walls on the exterior. The staircase
facelift is an ode to mid­century design. Dropped was the ideal notion of a single entrance/exit in favor of five entrances with door
controls and monitoring for maximum convenience. Gained was a “learning commons partnership” to coordinate services in the
multifunctional facility. The result is a stunningly transparent and airy library and learning commons at the crossroads of the
campus.
Green expectations
Students and all stakeholders were united in their expectation that the building be built and operated green. Going for LEED Gold
certification was an easy choice and meant the reuse of the existing building and some furnishings; operation of energy-efficient
systems and lighting; strategic harvesting of daylight; glass curtainwalls with special frit and UV coatings; low-emitting materials
and furnishings; and the capture of 100 percent of the building’s storm water runoff for use in water features and the landscape.
The site’s slope dictated a step-down approach to a three-story addition. That strategy resulted in an addition that is appropriately
scaled for pedestrian movement through the campus core. But now people stop to rest, read, or socialize in the new plaza, terraced
amphitheater, meditation lawn, rain garden, and bioswale. Like a town square, these exterior spaces are a campus destination.
Creating gathering and contemplative spaces both indoors and out came as no surprise. From the get-go, planners stepped beyond
standard programmatic needs and sought new opportunities. Many conversations with stakeholders shaped the direction, including
two summer retreats by campus leadership. Soliciting input was taken seriously at all levels. The whole campus was invited to test
seating options; students were queried via focus groups on size, layout, and furnishings; and the deans were invited to explore their
need for a technology-rich classroom, which became the now-sought-after Boeing Room.
Educating the whole person
Flexibility is a key organizing principle of this project. Staff work areas are outfitted with reconfigurable desk systems. All
furnishings were selected to be durable, mobile, cleanable, and easily maintained. Raised floors throughout the addition contain
data, electricals, and HVAC vents enabling future reconfigurations. Around-the-clock services are provided in an expandable zone
that extends across most of two floors of the addition. Containment is handled by drop-down security gates and security via ID card
access.
Internally, placement of services through the six-floor building is maximized for easy access. The Boeing Room is on the lowest level
to accommodate events that occur outside of regular hours. The second floor contains the aforementioned partnership services and
private cubicles for client meetings; an “iDesk” staffed during regular building hours; a café; and several classrooms with laptop
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