Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

North Carolina State University: James B. Hunt Jr. Library

  • 06/01/14
North Carolina State University Library 

PHOTOS © JEFF GOLDBERG/ESTO

The James B. Hunt Jr. Library at North Carolina State University opened in January 2013 on the rapidly growing Centennial Campus in Raleigh. With an iconic modern exterior and an interior filled with cutting-edge technological integration, the facility has been touted as “the library of the future.”

The design shifts the concept of a library beyond stacks and catalogs to a dynamic place for collaboration, research and experimentation with technology. A bookBot automated book delivery system reduces the space needed for stacks and accommodates a 2,000,000-volume collection. A virtual browse system allows users to see a virtual bookshelf with items related in subject, and books can be checked out and retrieved by the bookBot and are available for pickup within minutes.

Generous open spaces and monumental stairs connect all floors of the library, while the learning commons contain both open spaces with colorful furniture and more traditional, quiet study areas. Hunt Library provides 100 group study rooms, including technology labs, gaming labs, media production rooms and creativity studios. A glass-walled technology showcase on the entry level offers the latest devices and technologies available for loan to students. The library also houses a political think tank led by former North Carolina Governor James Hunt, academic offices and an auditorium.

The 230,000-square-foot facility is certified LEED Silver, with an abundance of natural lighting, solar fins, rooftop solar panels, innovative chilled beam and radiant panel systems, green roofs and a rainwater collection system.

Clark Nexsen served as executive architect, collaborating fully on the project design and construction with the New York office of Snøhetta serving as lead designer. Hunt Library has been honored with more than 20 awards, including the international Stanford Prize for Innovation in Research Libraries (SPIRL) and three national awards for library architectural design and planning, library interiors and education facility design.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.