This project is a renovation/adaptive reuse of a circa-1910 building within the Historic District. The structure was originally constructed as a multi-use facility and included a gymnasium, bowling alley, chapel and cafeteria. The design challenge was to adapt the existing gymnasium and bowling alley into a new student library and college center. The renovation encompasses approximately 15,000 SF on both the first and second floors and 3,000 SF on a small mezzanine, for a total renovated area of 33,000 SF.
The library is located on the main floor and consists of book stack areas, a control desk, librarian offices, a computer room, a children’s reading area, a coffee shop and conference room. The lower area houses the college centers with administrative areas for four universities as well as common break, computer and testing rooms.
Special challenges included updating a historic structure with totally new HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems, minimizing the visual intrusion of these new systems and special coordination to insure all systems could be installed as planned with minimal conflicts.
