Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Virginia Commonwealth University: James Branch Cabell Library

  • 09/01/17
Virginia Commonwealth University

PHOTOS © ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a public research university in Richmond, VA, recently expanded and renovated the James Branch Cabell Library. New construction and improvements to 156,000 square feet of existing library space in the Monroe Park Campus library provided VCU’s 31,000 students with more space to study, collaborate, discover, create and conduct research. Shepley Bulfinch served as design architect and Virginia-based Moseley Architects was the architect of record.

Designed in 1970 primarily to store collections, and expanded in 1975, VCU’s Cabell Library faced a dire need for “people-focused” spaces to serve more than two million visitors annually. The $50.8 million project transformed the introverted precast concrete box of the existing Brutalist library into a beautiful and light-filled academic library of the future. Designed to be as flexible and operationally efficient as it is engaging and inviting, the new library introduces a range of multi-use spaces for both study and collaborative work. Ninety percent was designed specifically for student use, with seating capacity doubled to nearly 3,000. Patrons are pulled vertically through the building via a series of open stairs, with each new vista offering a sense of beauty and delight and higher floors providing progressively quieter areas.

Designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, the building’s features include: Student-focused spaces featuring 25 group study rooms, two state-of-the-art classrooms and a third-floor “reading porch” with outdoor-style furniture, ceiling fans and windows that open; an area dedicated to video and audio production and editing, digitization, high-end computing and equipment loans; a two-story daylight-filled lobby with expanded ground floor café, a third-floor, 300-seat multifunctional event space featuring a mosaic video wall; a “silent space” on the fourth and highest floor (a label requested and enforced by students); and a dedicated faculty and graduate research center in a large glassed-in fourth-floor room that offers expansive views of the Monroe Park Campus.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Minnesota District Opens New PreK–12 School

    Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Schools in Gibbon, Minn., recently announced that construction is complete on a new, $68.9-million school for students in grades PreK–12, according to a news release.

  • University of Mary Washington Selects Builder for New Theater, Dance Facility

    The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., recently announced that it has selected construction and development firm Skanska to lead a series of renovations and upgrades to fine arts facilities, according to a news release.

  • California District Opens New Robotics Center

    The Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) in Cupertino, Calif., recently held a Grand Opening ceremony for a new, district-wide Robotics Center, according to a news release. The 14,500-square-foot facility was designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA); Landmark Constructors served as the builder and Blach Construction as general construction manager.

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.