flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Williams College bookstore is a LEED Platinum space for more than just books

University Buildings

Williams College bookstore is a LEED Platinum space for more than just books

CambridgeSeven designed the campus bookstore.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | May 3, 2018
Williams College bookstore exterior at night

Courtesy Williams College

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.

 

Williams College bookstore exteriorCourtesy 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.

 

Williams College bookstore cafeCourtesy Williams College.

 

Williams College bookstore interiorCourtesy Williams College.

 

Williams College bookstore staircaseCourtesy Williams College.

 

Williams College bookstore upper levelCourtesy Williams College.

 

Williams College bookstore book stacksCourtesy Williams College.

 

Williams College bookstore outdoor terraceCourtesy Williams College.

Related Stories

| Mar 20, 2012

Stanford’s Knight Management Center Awarded LEED Platinum

The 360,000-sf facility underscores what is taught in many of the school’s electives such as Environmental Entrepreneurship and Environmental Science for Managers and Policy Makers, as well as in core classes covering sustainability across the functions of business.

| Mar 19, 2012

HKS Selected for Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie

Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachiewill incorporate advanced technology including telemedicine, digital imaging, remote patient monitoring, electronic medical records and computer patient records. 

| Mar 14, 2012

Tsoi/Kobus and Centerbrook to design Jackson Laboratory facility in Farmington, Conn.

Building will house research into personalized, gene-based cancer screening and treatment.

| Mar 6, 2012

EwingCole completes first design-build project for the USMA

The second phase of the project, which includes the academic buildings and the lacrosse and football fields, was completed in January 2012.

| Mar 6, 2012

Joliet Junior College achieves LEED Gold

With construction managed by Gilbane Building Company, Joliet Junior College’s Facility Services Building combines high-performance technologies with sustainable materials to meet aggressive energy efficiency goals.

| Mar 1, 2012

Cornell shortlists six architectural firms for first building on tech campus

Each of the firms will be asked to assemble a team of consultants and prepare for an interview to discuss their team’s capabilities to successfully design the university’s project.

| Mar 1, 2012

Bomel completes design-build parking complex at U.C. San Diego

The $24-million facility, which fits into a canyon setting on the university’s East Campus, includes 1,200 stalls in two adjoining garages and a soccer field on a top level. 

| Feb 28, 2012

Salem State University Library & Learning Commons topped off

When it opens to students in the fall of 2013, the $60 million facility will offer new archival space; circulation and reference areas; collections; reading spaces; study rooms; instruction labs and a Dean’s suite. 

| Feb 28, 2012

Griffin Electric completes Medical University of South Carolina project

The 210,000-sf complex is comprised of two buildings, and houses research, teaching and office areas, plus conference spaces for the University.

| Feb 14, 2012

Angelo State University opens doors to new recreation center expansion

  Designed by SmithGroup, the JJR_Center for Human Performance offers enhanced fitness options, dynamic gathering space.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category



Mass Timber

Bjarke Ingels Group designs a mass timber cube structure for the University of Kansas

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and executive architect BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design. A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core.


halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021