On March 29, the Smith College Neilson Library, on the Northampton, Mass., campus of Smith College, reopened to students after a four-year, $120 million renovation and expansion that reimagine the library’s 200,000 sf, in the conception of its architectural designer Maya Lin, as an intellectual commons.
Maya Lin Studios teamed with principal architect Shepley Bulfinch and the construction management firm Shawmut Design & Construction on what was Smith College’s largest capital project in a decade.
Also see: A video tour of the completed library here.
The original Smith College library opened in 1909 and had gone through three rounds of renovation before this current project, which included replacing wings that blocked the view of this Berkshires-nestled campus (designed by Frederick Law Olmstead) with two new wings that have a curved, light-filled design made from masonry, wood, and glass.
An oculus provides natural light throughout the library's four floors.
The original building now forms the library’s core whose spacious atrium is illuminated by a four-story oculus. The central floor offers a massive reading area, and the building features flexible and collaborative workspaces, classrooms, contemplative study areas, a sunken courtyard, and event spaces that include an accessible outdoor amphitheater. On the fourth floor, a Skyline Terrace provides sweeping views and an outdoor patio.
Bringing Smith College Neilson Library Into the 21st Century
One of two wings, made of masonry, wood, and glass, that were added to the library's original building.
There’s a Digital Media Hub where students can record podcasts, videos and other media; self-service labs where students can use technologies, such as spatial analysis, gaming software, survey software, and GIS; a User Experience Lab for research and usability testing; and access to large-format and 3D printers, as well as other creativity tools.
The north wing is filled with spaces to support active learning and scholarship, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The south wing brings together special collections—40,000 lineal ft of archival materials—into one climate-controlled space.
“Our team brought to life a groundbreaking vision, one which honors Smith College’s rich history and tradition while providing bespoke capabilities that will serve generations of future students with the latest in sustainability and technology,” says Ron Simoneau, Shawmut’s Executive Vice President.
As part of this project, the nearby Alumnae Gym was renovated and connected to Neilson Library by an interior walkway. Edwina von Gal with Ryan Associates designed the surrounding exterior landscaping.
Neilson Library’s sustainability aspects include a high-performance building envelope, advanced daylighting strategies, and materials that promote health and wellness. The building also has the ability to become an all-electric complex and is pursuing LEED V.4 Gold certification.
Related Stories
Sponsored | Cladding and Facade Systems | Mar 24, 2015
Designers turn a struggling mall into a hub of learning and recreation
Architects help Nashville government transform a struggling mall into a new community space.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose
Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 29, 2014
Spherical reflectors help spread daylight throughout a college library in Portland, Ore. [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
The 40,000-sf library is equipped with four “cones of light,” spherical reflectors made from extruded aluminum that distribute daylight from the library’s third floor to illuminate the second. The innovation was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Nov 10, 2014
Herzog & De Meuron unveils plan for National Library of Israel
The library’s new home will be a completely new building in Jerusalem, and will combine the functions of a central research center, a venue for indoor and outdoor cultural and educational activities, and a place for digital experience.
| Oct 16, 2014
Report: How to keep public libraries relevant in a digital age
Public libraries will avoid being relegated to the scrap heap of history in a digital age as long as they continue to serve as platforms for learning, creativity, and innovation that strengthen their communities, according to a new Aspen Institute report.
| Oct 16, 2014
Perkins+Will white paper examines alternatives to flame retardant building materials
The white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 found in the indoor environment, and 33 in human blood, milk, and tissues.
| Oct 15, 2014
Harvard launches ‘design-centric’ center for green buildings and cities
The impetus behind Harvard's Center for Green Buildings and Cities is what the design school’s dean, Mohsen Mostafavi, describes as a “rapidly urbanizing global economy,” in which cities are building new structures “on a massive scale.”
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
