Design team previews proposals for Firestone renovations

The events showcased renderings of spaces to be renovated in the upcoming phase of construction, as well as several mockups of furniture that will appear in the new library, including study tables, chairs and carrels.

The purpose of the event was to share the design team’s intent, said James Wallace, a senior project manager in the University’s Office of Design and Construction. Input from visitors and design team members will inform revisions to the existing proposals, he added.

“Student feedback has always been a part of the process,” design team member Glen Pacheco said. “We’ve reached that time in the process when we start showing everyone what they’re getting for the inconvenience. This is how we tweak it and make it better.”

Although renovations to Firestone have been ongoing since 2010, this week’s open houses represent the first chance for students to glimpse what will be the final outcome. In addition to architectural and interior design changes, architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott plans to make a number of structural changes to improve Firestone’s sustainability, study spaces, lighting, shelving layouts and exhibit spaces.

Fred Fisher of Frederick Fisher and Partners, the design firm commissioned to collaborate with Shepley Bulfinch on the new interior, said his vision for the library was equally concerned with the needs of the modern student as it was with preserving the library’s unique character.

“We had a [dual] vision for Firestone,” Fisher said. “At the same time that we wanted to express the original personal, domestic, intimate character of the building, we also wanted to make it contemporary, to make it more open and transparent and user-friendly.”

Fisher added that many details in the new scheme for Firestone will reinterpret existing designs already found in the library.

The “reinvented” carrel, for example, makes use of an orange inlay found on writing surfaces throughout the building. At the same time, he added, carrels will also feature a custom-built strip of energy-efficient LED lights, built-in outlets and a corkboard.

The renovation will also reclaim spaces that are currently used for administration or storage. The former faculty reading room on the third floor, which currently houses stacks of books, for example, will return in the spring of 2014 as a room for student use. The management offices on the first floor will be moved to C-floor, clearing room for books and quiet study spaces.

The timetable for the implementation of these new designs hinges on progress that is currently underway. But large-scale remodeling on an open and functioning research library is a challenge, according to Director of Library Finance and Administration Jeff Rowlands.

Other challenges throughout the renovation include the commitment to keeping the library open during regular hours and maintaining student access to collections, Firestone’s Construction and Communication Coordinator Margaret Kehrer said in a statement. Additionally, factoring in reading periods and exam schedules will sometimes require unforeseen adjustments to the construction schedule, she said.

“Fortunately, the overall plan remains on schedule,” Kehrer added. The entire renovation project is projected to last 10 years.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Phase 2A is set to start immediately, according to Kehrer. This phase will renovate the south side of A-floor, two mechanical rooms, a public reading room, a graduate study room, an electronic classroom and open stacks.

This summer, Firestone will continue plans to install a modern electronic detection system to enhance security. Current plans include installing an electronic book detection system, and users will have to enter and exit the lobby using a proximity card reader.

Kehrer stated that work on Phase 2B, set to start in February 2013, will overlap with 2A. Phase 2B will primarily renovate the second and third floors, Kehrer said.

Firestone also plans to unveil a new renovation website in the coming months.