SRJC FRANK P. DOYLE LIBRARY

Santa Rosa, CA

 

The new Main Library for Santa Rosa Junior College sits at the heart of the oak studded brick campus. Working with Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott Architects of Boston, this new 145,000 s.f. library is one of the finest community college libraries in the state. Student use of the Library has tripled since opening in the fall of 2006. Comfortably fitted into the historic campus center, this $45 million dollar project reflects the substance of a major academic library on a historic campus while clearly being at the leading edge of library design.

 

This library design focuses on an environment for teaching and learning information literacy. Collaborative work environments such as group studies, a coffee bar, and Center for New Media for faculty and staff make the library the social, cultural and symbolic center of the campus. A museum quality art gallery and bustling Tutorial Center reinforce the vibrancy of the building. Furniture and interior design for collaborative work were a paramount concern in the design of the new library.

 

The Frank P. Doyle Library incorporates a number of strategies to make the facility more sustainable. To accomplish this, and to increase the long-term efficiency in operational costs the building employs a variety of strategies including:

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  • Thermal Energy Storage Ice Banks
  • A 58 Kilowatt photovoltaic array on the roof
  • White “cool roof” coatings
  • Use of large windows and skylights
  • PVC free wall coverings, low VOC interior finishes and high recycled content in furnishings