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

| Feb 6, 2012

Siemens gifts Worcester Polytechnic Institute $100,000 for fire protection lab renovation

Siemens support is earmarked for the school’s Fire Protection Engineering Lab, a facility that has been forwarding engineering and other advanced degrees, graduating fire protection engineers since 1979.

| Feb 2, 2012

Fire rated glazing helps historic university preserve its past

When the University embarked on its first major addition since the opening of Hutchins Hall in 1933, preserving the Collegiate Gothic-style architecture was of utmost importance.

| Feb 2, 2012

Next phase of construction begins on Scripps Prebys Cardiovascular Institute

$456 million Institute will be comprehensive heart center for 21st Century.

| Feb 1, 2012

Two new research buildings dedicated at the University of South Carolina

The two buildings add 208,000 square feet of collaborative research space to the campus.

| Jan 31, 2012

Fusion Facilities: 8 reasons to consolidate multiple functions under one roof

‘Fusing’ multiple functions into a single building can make it greater than the sum of its parts. The first in a series  on the design and construction of university facilities.

| Jan 27, 2012

BRB Architects designs new campus center for Molloy College

Intended to be the centerpiece of the College’s transformation from a commuter college to a 24-hour learning community, the “Public Square” will support student life with spaces such as a café, lounges, study rooms, student club space, a bookstore and an art gallery.

| Jan 19, 2012

BOKA Powell-designed facility at Texas A&M Bryan campus

The new facility provides programs for the Texas A&M Health Science Center, the Texas Brain and Spine Institute, Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers, and Blinn College Allied Health programs.

| Jan 4, 2012

Shawmut Design & Construction awarded dorm renovations at Brown University

Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2012, and will be completed by December 2012.

| Jan 3, 2012

New Chicago hospital prepared for pandemic, CBR terror threat

At a cost of $654 million, the 14-story, 830,000-sf medical center, designed by a Perkins+Will team led by design principal Ralph Johnson, FAIA, LEED AP, is distinguished in its ability to handle disasters. 

| Dec 20, 2011

Gluckman Mayner Architects releases design for Syracuse law building

The design reflects an organizational clarity and professional sophistication that anticipates the user experience of students, faculty, and visitors alike. 

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