2010 PKAL Learning Space Collaboratory National Colloquium. Whew! That’s quite a mouthful. I was fortunate enough to attend, and it was a great weekend of very robust discussion (and some fun!).

Under the guidance of Jeannie Narum, Principal of the Collaboratory, nearly a hundred educators, higher ed administrators, architects, planners, landscape architects, librarians, scientists, and others came together to share their knowledge and questions about “What We Know About Planning Learning Spaces and What We Still Need to Know”.

A combination of presentations, interactive sessions, small group work, the Colloquium modeled the type of ...[more]

Think you know what goes on here? Look again. Step inside Hackerman Hall, home to Johns Hopkins’ Computational Sciences program and a remarkable intellectual crossroads.

In a celebration today attended by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and other dignitaries, the Atlanta University Center (AUC) rededicated the renovated Robert W. Woodruff Library, unveiling its interactive and technology-rich 21st century learning environment.

Shepley Bulfinch’s completion of the first phase of this major renovation included more than 130,000 square feet of the Woodruff Library’s 220,000 square foot facility. The renovation replaced many solid interior walls with glass panels, drawing natural light deep into the space.

The inviting and dynamic main floor, with its media creation and presentation space ...[more]

The Library and Science Center at the Ashley Hall School in Charleston has received a 2010 Merit Award for Excellence in School Building and Design from CEFPI’s South Carolina chapter.

The center was dedicated in 2009, the centennial year for this independent girls’ school. The school’s rich history informed the project design, which drew inspiration from the proportion and detail of nearby McBee House, the campus’ iconic structure. The Library occupies two floors of the new building, while the third floor and renovated space in adjoining Jenkins ...[more]

Janette Blackburn and Joe Rondinelli discuss the changing roles and forms of libraries in the March 2010 issue of Building Design & Construction. In the article, they discuss how, as readers needs change and libraries accommodate more diverse uses, space, flexibility, and acoustical control play increasingly important roles.

The Evolving Library – Building Design & Construction

Tuscaloosa, AL – The University of Alabama today announced plans for an “extreme makeover”, implementing recommendations from Shepley Bulfinch’s recent library study to create a collaborative technology-rich learning environment for Gorgas Library. The redesign will integrate flexible seating, new lighting, and the creation of variety of individual and group learning spaces as part of the new Gorgas Library Learning Commons.

“We’re creating a communal space in a library where students and faculty come together to work, to do research, to get help from librarians, to get coffee…” said Gary Wasdin, assistant dean for the Library’s access and information services.

The library’s first floor, which is currently closed for renovation, is expected to ...[more]