A library for posterity
"Our goal was to give students and Faculty at the University a competitive edge; to have a library that really made a tremendous difference in their education, in their research and something that made them want to be lifetime learners," says Susan K. Nutter, Vice Provost and Director of North Carolina State University Libraries.
Named after James B. Hunt Jr., the 69th and 71st Governor of North Carolina, the Hunt Library emerged in January of 2013 with a strong sustainable drive and established a precedent for libraries around the world.
"A new benchmark for
technologically-sophisticated
collaborative learnings spaces"
says Snøhetta, a Norway-based, internationally renown architecture and design studio, about the project in their book 'SNØHETTA. PEOPLE. PROCESS. PROJECTS', published in 2015.
Snøhetta, an internationally renown architecture and design studio based in Norway, was the design leader, and award-winning, US-based architecture and engineering firm Clark Nexsen worked as the executive architect. Together, they collaborated on this $115.2 million building that can hold around 2,000 students in a total of 221,000 sqft.
One of the main design challenges of the Raleigh landmark was to reduce a seating gap, so that the space could accommodate as many students as possible. By installing a bookBot — an automated book delivery system— they saved 40% of the space. "We decided to use the bookBot, which is a much more dense arrangement of the two million volumes, and the wonderful thing about that decision is that it allowed us to create all these additional spaces for groups, study and high tech collaboration, that otherwise would have been occupied by book stacks," says the Assistant Director of Learning Spaces and Capital Management of NCSU Libraries, Patrick Deaton.
The bookBot, an automated book delivery system that holds up to 2 million volumes in the Hunt Library. Photo ©Keith Isaacs
"We have over 80 different types of chairs in the Hunt Library; in dynamic, engaging colors in modern, interactive spaces," says Kristin Antelman, Associate Director for Digital Library at NCSU Libraries.
Some of the chairs can be found on the witty blog Chairs of Hunt Library started by advanced analytics students Peter Baumgartner and Jake Frost and violin teacher, Erica Shirt. The blog documents the furniture with pictures, specific location in the library, information about the designers, and other interesting additional details.
The library's extensive seating collection includes iconic chairs such as The Coconut Chair by George Nelson, the Perillo Chair by Martin Ballendat, the MR Lounge Chair and the Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, or the Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio.
A group of Egg Chairs by Arne Jacobsen. Photo © Keith Isaacs
The Hunt Library is also a pioneer in sustainability. The building features a partial green roof, a solar water heater and the ability of using reclaimed wastewater. In this smart building, 82% of all wood products throughout the building are harvested from FSC-certified timber forests. With a grand total of 31% recycled materials, the project received the City of Raleigh Non-Residential Green Design Award "for its sustainable design and technology that reduces energy use by 31 percent" in April of 2013.
For the building's interior, low-emitting paints, adhesives and flooring are used for better air quality. They also achieved a 38% water use reduction by utilizing water-efficient fixtures, and reduced a total of 72% potable water consumption in the landscaping using drought-tolerant plant varieties.
Detail of the facade of the building. Photo © Keith Isaacs
Regarding the design of the building, in relation to its the natural light and solar energy usage, Craig Dykers, Founding Partner of Snohetta says, "We didn't want to rely on active technology things like computer equipment, or moveable blinds," and adds, "instead we looked at more passive technologies; simple features, such as orienting the glass in a particular direction. Placing the portions of the building that need sunlight closer to the facades, and the portions that need little sunlight towards the middle."
The Hunt Library received great international admiration for its display of advanced technology. When it opened its doors in 2013, it featured a makerspace, a 3D scanner and two 3D printers, as well as a video game lab and multiple video and audio rooms.
"I hope the library means, for the university, that it helps to recruit and retain the very best students and the very best faculty," says Library Director Susan Nutter, "and that we are known as a place of excellence, and a place of passion, ideas and vision. You can't be in this building and not think something's happening at this university," she concludes.
