The Mui Ho Fine Arts Library in the renovated Rand Hall at Cornell University has received LEED Gold certification for its sustainable design and operation.
The first level of the library on the Ithaca, N.Y., campus features floating book stacks, open reading space and collaborative work spaces. Rand Hall’s ground floor supports a full shop space.
“Rand Hall’s renovation and the construction of the library converted a building in need of repair and reinvestment into an efficient, attractive and inspirational new cornerstone – at an important entry point onto Cornell’s central campus,” says Matt Kozlowski, Green Building program manager in Facilities and Campus Services.
The project received all 19 available LEED points for optimizing energy performance, and all six available points for proximity to public transportation.
The project repointed and repaired the yellow brick exterior, and replaced the roof with a well-insulated and reflective surface that improves the building’s thermal performance year-round. All of the building’s original windows were replaced with double-glazed panes, and significant insulation was added to the walls.
“The energy model predicts a 55% energy-use reduction,” Kozlowski says. “The architects and engineers struck the right balance for where and how to add heating and cooling.”
The Mui Ho Fine Arts Library officially opened Aug. 5. The university says the library has one of the largest circulating academic collections in the Northeast dedicated to art and architecture.
The second and third floors of the renovated building are now a single open space, dominated by a rectangular mass of shelves and walkways, running almost the entire length of the space and suspended from the reinforced ceiling.
The library – named for architect Mui Ho – was designed by architect Wolfgang Tschapeller. STV is the architectural firm of record, and the contractor is Welliver Construction.
Video from Cornell University: Mui Ho Fine Arts Library
