The May issue of College Planning and Management features the opening of Colgate University’s newly renovated Case Library and the Geyer Center for Information Technology.

Located at the base of the hilltop campus, the Library features a 24-hour study space, a cafe, and video conference center. Flexible workrooms are located on the new top level, which is directly accessible from the upper campus. A “Main Street” traverses the main library floor, connecting with campus pathways and creating an inviting campus portal. The renovation features an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) that provides archival-quality storage for 500,000 volumes. This provides accessible, high-density storage, retaining more materials on site while freeing ...[more]

The new library at Queen’s University, Belfast, was among the examples of the economic revival of Belfast, Northern Ireland, according to an article which appeared today in Architecture Week.

With design techniques that exceed code requirements, the 190,000 s.f. project is expected to meet the stringent standards of the UK’s Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).

Instead of a mechanical system, its natural ventilation system will reduce energy costs by fifty percent. The library’s sustainable elements also include automatically operated windows, atria, roof venting, and a night cooling strategy that utilizes exposed concrete structural slabs. Ground source heat pumps, with a raised floor system, efficiently deliver low temperature heat. ...[more]