Strategic Space Planning & Allocation

The history of libraries offers valuable lessons for modern community planning. The ancient libraries in Athens, while focused on democratic scholarship, pioneered the concept of a community knowledge and sharing. Early schools made the library accessible to a community of learners. The modern SNFCC in Athens, continues with this tradition. It provides space for study, preservation and contemplation. Indeed, the modern library demonstrates the importance of creating quiet, focused study spaces. The contempory-era libraries, such as the British Museum, embraced the public dissemination of knowledge, leading to the development of open-stack collections and vast collections.

Modern improvements can draw from our historical architectural consulting precedents (e.g. KAUST, House of Wisdom, SNFCC, Cornell, Tufts & Stanford Univeristy). Our library programming models suggest the importance of curated collections and expert guidance from staff. Our project experiences in libraries remind us of the need for quiet study spaces, individual rooms and open collaboration spaces. Our public libraries highlight the value of community engagement (e.g. Woodstock, Hershey, Teton County, Fort Collins). Our library workshops and methods align services for the long term future.

We believe in a collaborative, data-driven approach. We begin by deeply understanding your institution’s unique context, then develop tailored solutions grounded in best practices and emerging trends. We prioritize flexibility and adaptability, recognizing that the library’s role will continue to evolve.

We have program models to support collection storage requirements. We can develop a guidebook to build your physical and digital library. The concept includes library and bookstore models to support the development of Product Ontologies and Historic Collections in an efficient configuration. The benefits for staff include better management of assets and the re-use of existing resources.