Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

The College of Idaho: Cruzen-Murray Academic Library

  • 07/01/18
College of Idaho

PHOTOS RIGHT AND ABOVE © ADAM ESCHBACH/THE COLLEGE OF IDAHO, PHOTOS LEFT AND FAR LEFT © GABE BORDER

The Cruzen-Murray library is a campus gateway that has become a signature building for the College of Idaho in Caldwell, ID, and a leading example of the 21st-century transformation of the library building. The new library features 60,000 square feet of enclosed floor area over three levels.

Designed by richärd+bauer of Phoenix, the library is a light-filled, inviting environment with ample opportunities for exterior views. The sustainable building approach used both passive and active measures to reduce the library’s energy consumption. A geothermal heat pump system reduces operating costs, extends mechanical system life, and reduces the system life-cycle cost.

The exterior skin is an insulated glass curtain wall which is shaded by a series of perforated metal shade fins arranged to accept natural light into the interior spaces at the appropriate times of the year and throughout each day. The shade fins spiral around the elliptical shape, rising at the entry to invite visitors inside.

The main entrance is located on the west side of the building, which also features a terraced landscaped plaza providing access to the 24/7 technology lab area. The main entry leads to a curving sculptural stair, taking visitors to the main reading room on the second level overlooking the dynamic two-story entry space. A convex cedar board ceiling over the entire second level provides a warm, acoustically pleasant environment. In the evening, the building acts as a softly glowing lantern on campus, lit from within via the richly expressed ceiling.

The interior is arranged with public/social spaces on the west facing the existing campus and quadrangle, and quiet study and individual spaces primarily placed on the east. The book stacks are arrayed along the eastern edge of the building on the ground and second levels. A central “core” houses classroom and office spaces.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management July/August 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Beyond Four Walls

    Operable glass walls provide a dynamic solution for educational spaces. They align with today’s evolving teaching methods and adapt to the needs of modern learners. Beyond the functional versatility, movable glass walls offer clean, contemporary aesthetics, slim and unobtrusive profiles, and versatile configurations that cater to the evolving needs of students and educators alike.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.

Digital Edition