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]

The McClay Library at Queen’s University Belfast, in Northern Ireland, has received the 2010 Sustainability Award from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), it was announced today.

The Library, which won the 2010 RICS Northern Ireland award earlier this year, was chosen over category winners from the other RICS geographic regions across the UK for this prestigious national award.

As one of the judges noted in the announcement, “The new Library is proving an invaluable resource for students at Queen’s University, Belfast. The building achieves excellence on two fronts: in terms of providing essential educational support and through ...[more]

BROOKLYN, NY – Principal Alexander (Sandy) Howe, one of Shepley’s senior designers, received an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from Brooklyn College as part of the school’s commencement ceremony earlier today. The degree was awarded in recognition of his design achievements in academic architecture, including the Brooklyn College Library, which was completed in 2003.

In addition to Brooklyn College, Sandy’s recent and current clients include the University of Notre Dame, the University of New Mexico, and Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

His design for the recent expansion of the Boole Library at ...[more]

As a response to the ongoing quest to reduce energy consumption, chilled beams are experiencing a surge in popularity, according to “Chill Out: A look at passive and active chilled-beam systems,” which appears in the current issue of eco-structure magazine. In the article, Shepley Bulfinch’s Jonathan Baron discusses the importance of understanding a building’s thermal dynamics and the environments for which chilled beam systems are best suited.

In his interview with writer Judith Stock, Jonathan talks about strategies for addressing potential condensation issues, as well as the need for close coordination with ...[more]

McClay Library at Queen’sUniversity Belfast received a Commendation in the UK’s 2011 Civic Trust Awards held in Manchester, England, on March 4.

Established in 1959, the Civic Trust Awards recognize the best in architecture, design, planning, landscape and public art. Awards are given to projects of the highest quality design that are judged to have made a positive cultural, social, or economic contribution to the local community.

McClay Library was the only project from Northern Ireland to be so recognized. This is the second major UK award for the ...[more]

Shepley Bulfinch has maintained its strong ranking among top architecture firms in the US, in the results of the Giants 300 survey published in Building Design + Construction magazine this month. The firm was ranked 29th overall, and 29th and 54th respectively in education and healthcare design. The survey also gave a nod to Shepley’s environmental commitment, ranking the firm among the country’s top 100 green design firms for the third consecutive year.

The firm’s sustainable projects in the past year include McClay Library at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, which ...[more]

Four of Shepley Bulfinch’s academic library clients topped the rankings for “Best College Library” in the 2010 Princeton Review survey of students at 373 top US colleges and universities. The four current or recent clients are Harvard (#1); Duke (#2); Princeton (#3), and Colgate (#4). In addition, Furman University, where the firm completed the 2004 LEED Gold Duke Library addition and renovation, was ranked #12.

Rankings were determined by responses from over 122,000 students to the survey question “How do you rate your school’s library facilities?”.

Colgate also came in ...[more]

One of Northern Ireland’s newest landmark buildings – the McClay Library at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland – was officially opened today by one of the University’s most famous alumni, Nobel prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney.

Speaking at the event, Dr Heaney lauded the new library, saying, calling it “a lightship for scholarship…” He went on to comment on how the library represents the role of technology in transforming how students learn.

Illuminated by a multi-story open atrium, the 196,000 square foot building accommodates 2,000 reader places and 1.2 million volumes. ...[more]