A three-story “library-plus” building at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) that ties together the upper and lower campuses was recently completed. The 100,977-sf facility, known as the Collaborative Opportunities for Research & Engagement (“CORE”) Building, is one of the busiest libraries in the CSU system. The previous library served 1.2 million visitors annually.
The new building offers students 700 more seats and 21 more group study rooms than the facility it replaced. Much more than a library, CORE brings traditional library services together with learning, innovation, and technology; collaboration and engagement; and social justice, diversity and sustainability.
It houses the Student Center for Academic Achievement (SCAA—for peer tutoring and study groups) and the Hub for Entrepreneurship, both of which help students become self-directed learners in the Information Age economy.
Equipped with state-of-the-art information and audio-visual technologies, the building provides diversity of spaces to support study rooms and collaborative commons along with multimedia production and library spaces for print and digital collections, archives, and special collections.
Generous open space and fenestration help knit the interior into a cohesive sum of many essential parts. In anticipation of earning LEED Gold certification, the building’s HVAC system aims for healthy indoor air quality, high levels of user controllability, and exceptional energy efficiency.
Each of CORE’s three stories offers a different approach to learning designed to help develop lifelong skills. The library is on Level Two. Level One houses a collaboration zone and innovation labs. Level Three is home to the SCAA and a roof deck provides an additional place for quiet study.
The visual dialogue within the building’s interior emphasizes the relationship between spaces that serve both the academic and social needs of students. CORE’s structure and functionality were designed to help CSUEB hone a distinct identity in the Bay Area’s rich educational landscape and enable it to be viewed as something more than a “commuter school.”
On the building team:
Owner and/or developer: California State University, East Bay
Architect of record, design architect: Carrier Johnson + Culture (Exterior)
Associate Architect: Anderson Brulé Architects (Interior)
MEP engineer: Integral Group
Structural engineer: Forell/Elsesser Engineers
General contractor/construction manager: Rudolph and Sletten
Related Stories
Green | Jun 15, 2017
45-meter spiraling tower lets you walk above the trees
A 600-meter treetop path culminates with a 45-meter-tall spiraling observation deck.
Higher Education | Jun 7, 2017
Building for the future: Five trends in higher education projects
Preparing students for life after graduation has become the primary motivator behind construction initiatives at U.S. colleges and universities.
Higher Education | Jun 6, 2017
Funding remains a concern, but not always an impediment
Colleges and universities are adept at tapping a variety of sources—taxpayers, investors, donors, and, yes, students—to fund their growth ambitions.
K-12 Schools | Jun 5, 2017
PK-8 school will be Denver’s first CHPS-certified building
A “learning stair” will connect the cafeteria to the main level.
Higher Education | May 31, 2017
Space utilization in higher education: more than sf per student
There’s more to space utilization than how often a room is occupied. What happens inside an occupied room is just as important.
Education Facilities | May 22, 2017
Educational design taking lessons from tech firms
Recently, in educational design, we have seen a trend toward more flexible learning spaces.
Libraries | May 16, 2017
A New York-area community college adds new zest to its library
Wired seating and group work areas abound.
K-12 Schools | May 1, 2017
Seattle’s first vertically-oriented middle school breaks ground
The building will provide 74,289 sf of space across its five-story classroom bar.
University Buildings | Apr 26, 2017
UMass Amherst is home to America’s first CLT academic building
The building brings the architecture, landscape architecture, and building technology departments under one roof.
Higher Education | Apr 24, 2017
Small colleges face challenges — and opportunities
Moody’s Investor Service forecasts that closure rates for small institutions will triple in the coming years, and mergers will double.