Library Buildings around the World

the last ten years, has long sought opportunities to secure additional space to meet the needs of a greater number of full-time
students. In his design, the architect was inspired to foster seamless interaction of the building’s circulation and learning spaces,
mindful of the ways students, faculty and the community intersect. “In every way, this new building will become the new heart of
The New School,” said Roger Duffy. “Its location, innovative design, and bold programming will encouraging the face-to-face,
spirited inquiry that is a characteristic of this university.” The 16-story building will replace a structure designed as a department
store in 1951, which the university outgrew years ago. Two floors below grade will house several lecture halls, a cafe and extension of
street-level retail space. An at-grade auditorium will feature moveable walls to accommodate different seating arrangements and a
retractable runway for student exhibitions. The dormitory, which will have a secure 24-hour entrance and sit atop the academic
floors, will enable more students to be housed within walking distance of campus. “Urban universities face special challenges,
particularly in a space-starved city like New York,” said James Murtha, New School executive vice president. “To accommodate the
growth of important programs within our limited footprint, we convened students and faculty over a period of years for a design
that embraces the culture of dialogue and debate that is a New School hallmark.” Because environmental sustainability is a core
value of The New School, the University Center has been designed to earn at least LEED Gold certification, a voluntary standard
and certification program that defines high-performance green buildings. It will employ state-of-the-art energy, water, and waste
efficiencies. Classrooms maximize daylight harvesting through clerestory windows and light shelves, which substantially reduce
energy use. The single-phase construction project is a departure from the university’s original plan for a much taller building.
Responding to community concerns, The New School’s more modest “as of right” project complies with existing zoning, including a
dramatic setback from the street at the seventh floor. Taking advantage of relatively low current construction costs, the building will
be financed through a combination of bonds, gifts, federal grants and asset sales. “With this building, The New School’s academic
profile can be fully realized,” said Tim Marshall, the university’s provost. “The University Center will have the breadth and
technological sophistication our current programs demand and the flexibility to accommodate new degree programs that will lead
our students to the next level of discourse.” (SOM)
University of California – Merced Library and Information Technology Center, Merced, CA - USA 2005
Project Facts: Completion Year: 2005, Site Area: 46,000 ft2, Project Area: 177,000 ft2, Building Height: 62 ft, Number of Stories: 4
Awards:
2009 • Chicago Athenaeum • Green Good Design Award
2007 • Savings By Design • Energy Efficiency Integration Merit Award
Awarded LEED® Gold, the LITC serves as the gateway to the new UC Merced campus. The LITC encompasses the library, student
union, administration, and technology facilities, acting as a nexus for the campus and creating a community space, while providing a
model of flexible and sustainable architecture.
Greenwich Academy - Upper School, Greenwich, CT – USA 2002
Project Facts: Completion Year: 2002, Project Area: 55,000 ft2, Building Height: 42 ft, Number of Stories: 2
Awards:
2005 • AIA - Boston Society of Architects • Honor Award: K-12 Educational Facilities Design
2005 • AIA Committee on Architecture for Education • Design Award: Educational Facilities, Award of Excellence
2004 • Interior Design • Design Distinction Award for Environments
2003 • AIA - New York State • Excellence in Design Award
2003 • AIA - New York State • Outstanding Projects Award
2002 • AIA - New York City Chapter • Design Award: Architecture
2002 • AIA - New York State • Award of Excellence
Greenwich Academy’s new Upper School and Library unifies the campus and enhances the site’s natural beauty. The site’s
topographical complexity was used to join the campus’s upper and lower levels through the medium of a building. Light is central to
the design; the project featured a collaboration with space and light artist James Turrell. (SOM)
Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA – USA 1997
Project Facts: Completion Year: 1997, Site Area: 850,000 ft2, Project Area: 316,500 sqft, Building Height: 130 ft, Number of
Stories: 8
The Library of Virginia is the central administrative and information hub for Virginia's public library system, and the archive for
the state's historic documents, housing 700,000 books and periodicals, 240,000 photographs and posters, and 83 million additional
archival items. Located between Richmond’s commercial and civic districts and two blocks from the Thomas Jefferson-designed
State Capitol, the library was planned as a catalyst for reviving the city's downtown. (SOM)
Tzu Chi Cultural Campus, Hualien – Taiwan 2004
SOM provided master planning and architectural design services for Tzu Chi University, a 6,000-student university
including classrooms, a library, auditorium, dormitories, and athletic facilities, totaling 464,519 sm. In addition, at the Tzu
Chi Cultural Campus, SOM?has developed a master plan and architecture for a 1,200 student elementary school, and a
1,600 secondary school incorporating dormitories, gymnasium, science and arts facilities, student center, dining hall,
library, faculty housing, and administrative offices. (SOM)
SPF ( Studio Pali Fekete ): architects, Culver City, CA - USA
http://www.spfa.com
Libraries:
SINAI Akiba Academy (Library), Los Angeles – USA 2008
SPF:a has just completed a renovation of Temple Sinai´s private school facility, the Sinai Akiba Academy on Wilshire Boulevard in
Los Angeles. The renovation provides state-of-the-art learning space to the Sinai Akiba middle school on the third and fourth floors
of the building. SPF:a raised ceilling heights, drew natural light into interior corridors, and reconfigured the floor plan to make
more efficient use of the space. The architect retrofitted the former gymnasium with removable bleachers on one side, and three
oversized sectional glass doors on the other, providing the previously enclosed school with a large, indoor-outdoor multipurpose
room. Per the client´s desire, sustainable materials including acoustic pillows of recycled cotton on the ceilings, wood fiberboard
acoustic panels in classrooms, and low VOC paints are used throughout. A donor wall consisting of backlit strips of engraved 3form
panels, dually serves to enliven the school corridors and to honor the families who made the project possible. (SPF)
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