The new Williams College campus bookstore includes everything you’d expect in a college bookstore plus a coffee shop, a dedicated area that can be sanctioned off for events and special talks, indoor/outdoor leisure spaces for the community, and a sustainable design that earned LEED Platinum designation.
The CambridgeSeven-designed building used local materials such as granite and bricks for the building’s exterior. A glazing to wall ratio of 24%, insulated glass with integral wood louvers, and an exterior brise soleil for enhanced thermal protection help the building achieve an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) rating of 39. The thicker than average, tightly sealed, insulated walls also help the bookstore achieve the EUI that is 41% better than baseline.
Courtesy Williams College.
A stormwater management system helps keep stormwater runoff equal to the pre-development levels. This system includes a rain garden, deep sump catch basins, and underground detention to capture stormwater from roofs and new paving before it runs off the site.
See Also: Best in library design 2018: Six projects earn AIA/ALA library awards
The building does not use any gas, only electricity. As such, the PV array on the roof was designed to form a dynamic part of the building’s presence on Spring Street.
Other features include birch plywood ceilings and fabric paneled hidden doors to section off the café space for programming. In addition to the building design, CambridgeSeven also designed the building’s furniture and finishes.
Courtesy Williams College.
Courtesy Williams College.
Courtesy Williams College.
Courtesy Williams College.
Courtesy Williams College.
Courtesy Williams College.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jun 9, 2022
IDEA Factory at U. of Maryland defies gravity
The E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering has a gravity-defying form: The seven-story building’s solid upper floors emerge above the lighter, mostly glass base.
University Buildings | Jun 7, 2022
Newfoundland university STEM building emulates natural elements, local traditions
Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) recently opened a new building that will provide interdisciplinary learning and research space for Faculties of Science and Engineering.
Museums | May 31, 2022
University of Texas at Dallas breaks ground on new 12-acre cultural district
The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) recently broke ground on the Crow Museum of Asian Art, the first phase of a new 12-acre cultural district on campus.
Building Team | May 20, 2022
Caltech breaks ground on a new center to study climate and sustainability
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) recently broke ground on its Resnick Sustainability Resource Center.
Laboratories | May 20, 2022
Brutalist former Berkeley Art Museum transformed into modern life science lab
After extensive renovation and an addition, the former Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive at the University of California, Berkeley campus reopened in May 2022 as a modern life science lab building.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 19, 2022
Northern Arizona University opens a new training center for its student athletes
In Flagstaff, Ariz. Northern Arizona University (NAU) has opened its new Student-Athlete High Performance Center.
University Buildings | May 16, 2022
Yale’s newly renovated Schwarzman Center enriches student campus social life
Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) recently unveiled the design of their restoration of the Schwarzman Center at Yale University, which includes dining spaces, a bar, and a food shop.
School Construction | May 11, 2022
New Digital Learning Commons at Rutgers supports doctoral programs in over 16 disciplines
The new Digital Learning Commons at the Rutgers University Archibald S. Alexander Library provides students in over 16 courses of study and four professional schools with spacious collaborative and study space.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 10, 2022
Designing smarter places of learning
This course explains the how structural steel building systems are suited to construction of education facilities.
Performing Arts Centers | May 10, 2022
A historic performance space is transformed to reinforce a campus’ Arts District
Connecticut College’s Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium balances the old and new.
