Sure, school libraries are about books and reference materials and research. But they're about so much more, as these examples show in the first of a two-part series.

By. Ima DeZina

It doesn't matter if they're for elementary, middle, or high school students, libraries have to do so much more than provide reference materials and a place to conduct research. Their design has to beckon students and, once inside, students have to be comfortable and do their work in a contemporary environment, complete with access to the internet. Take a look at how these four designs accomplish all of the above.

Focus: Designing Space Related to Specific Areas of Study

When the new Cedar Ridge High Schoolin Round Rock, Texas, went into the design phase, the goal for the library was to encourage student learning, student-to-student collaboration, and student-to-teacher interaction outside the classroom.

The 375,000-sq.-ft. school was finished this past August, with 15,129 sq. ft. dedicated to the library. More specifically, 9.249 sq. ft. was allocated to the Media Center, which includes the library, office, conference room, small groups rooms, computer lab, multi-media lab, and video distribution/library storage. The remaining 5,880 sq. ft. are dedicated to four satellite libraries of 1,470 sq. ft. each.

The concept of a main media center with several smaller, less-formal satellite media areas successfully addressed the aforementioned goals of the library design. The "mother" Media Center, positioned in the heart of the school and with views to one of three major internal courtyards, acts as a place for students and faculty to research and study with convenient access to technology and educational resources. The Media Center is also located adjacent to the school's Cyber Cafe to provide an informal gathering space for students to enjoy food and drinks in a safe and secure environment, thus extending the Media Center's capacity and capability.

The Media Center's design is smaller than those in traditional high schools to more effectively meet the unique design and needs of an Academy approach to education through additional, academy-specific satellite media areas. These Distributed Media Areas serve as specialty libraries centering on the details of each Academy. They offer casual, open space adjacent to each academy, as well as the distributed administration.

In addition, natural light is introduced in each of the five media centers through full-height glass walls at the long dimension of the main Media Center and two adjacent walls of each Distributed Media Center.

Completed by KAHickman Architects and Interior Designers, Round Rock, Texas, the school cost $78 million, of which $3.2 million was dedicated to the library.

Focus: Creating a Child-Friendly Space

Sunnyside School of International Studies, a magnet school for grades 1-6 in Lawrence Township, Indianapolis, underwent a redesign that was completed in October 2009.

At 2,740 sq. ft., the media center is clearly a highlight of the school's renewal. The design concept is based on the popular Magic Tree House book series, as well as the school's focus on International Studies.

The combined ideas transformed the space into a tropical jungle with discovery magnifying glass, tree frog book return, and a central tree house for student instruction. Other features include a double column entrance of stacked books and interior window graphics to enhance the atmosphere of the space.

The design was inspired by the fact that the principal and media specialist desired to provide both a child-friendly space and a unique theme that supported the school's primary focus. The school also has an active outdoor learning lab, and the principal and media specialist felt that various natural materials and textures could be used in the media center to enhance the outdoor learning environment.

Renovation of the entire 78,780-sq.-ft. school cost $55,500 and was completed by Indianapolis-based Woollen, Molzan and Partners, Inc.

Focus: Merging Historic Architecture with Contemporary Technology

In 2007, San Francisco-based Lycee Francais La Perouse, a pre K-12 private school with a French public school curriculum, completed an adaptive reuse of San Francisco Historical Landmark #242. The campus was built in 1927 as an orphanage and was remodeled into a 6-12 school with more than $4 million dollars of work completed in just three months.

Because it is an historic landmark building used for education, the design goal was to preserve the building architecture while expressing new technology. The structural steel trusses of the roof structure were exposed, requiring fire proofing to meet building code, which was accomplished with an intumescent coating. The result is a showcase of the original riveted steel trusses while providing comfortable and cozy study spaces among the book stacks. The juxtaposition of new building technology is also evident with the use of a blue canvas air duct for the HVAC air distribution, which has been a popular feature in the library as it changes shape when not in use.

Located on the upper level, the library includes a number of amenities that really highlight the merger of architecture with technology. It is as simple as computer workstations networked to a server and carpet tile (a sustainable building material) to add sound absorption. It is as functional as a fire sprinkler system added to the attic space to allow ample library storage adjacent to the library. It is as physical as

using large existing windows to provide natural light to the stacks, in which the historic wood windows were retrofitted with dual-pane glass, and creating access to a roof-top terrace with an accessible ramp, which leads to a retrofitted French door that matches the historic windows.

San Francisco-based Hilliard Architects, Inc., completed the 44,000-sq.-ft. adaptive reuse, of which 2,850 sq. ft. was dedicated to the library and book stacks.

Focus: Developing a School Focal Point with a Student-Friendly Design

Alabama School of Math and Science, a public residential high school for grades 10-12 based in Mobile, underwent an enormous transformation in 2007. The project included the renovation/addition of a new library and main entrance, and renovation of portions of existing spaces for offices, classroom, and activity areas. Altogether, the design plan included 6,000 sq. ft. of renovated and 4,000 sq. ft. of new construction.

The project involved the entire second floor of the Student Activities Center. Specifically, the school did not have a definedentrance, and so the design created a focal point, allowing for better circulation and facilitating student interaction in a learning environment. Within the new Ann Smith Bedsole Library, study carrels, a media center, and computer area are available, along with other new amenities, including seating areas for group study and a large classroom equipped with multimedia capabilities. The classroom, which accommodates 50 students, features optional dividers, thus allowing two functions to take place simultaneously.

The school's administrators requested a fun environment where students would enjoy spending time. As a result, the school's colors - blue and green - were emphasized in the design elements at the entry desk, circulation desk of the library and in the flooring. The color scheme is completed with accents of red for columns and beams, soft yellow for walls, and warm wood tones in furniture and counter tops. Lighting was also important in the project. Adjustable track lighting is used in the lobby, activity rooms, and portions of the library. Lineal lighting works well between the stacks, as the ceiling is low in that portion of the existing building. Finally, several display niches were designed with lighting to accommodate student creations.

Mobile, Ala.-based The Architects Group, Inc., completed the renovation and addition - of which the library was one portion - at a cost of nearly $5 million.

Clearly, library designers are working closely with school administrators to not only stay on top of student's needs, but meet them as well. Stay tuned for more high-quality library designs, coming in the next issue of Schooldesigner. In the meantime, to see many contemporary media center design elements, be sure to visit us at Schooldesigner.com. "With our focus on quality school design, we like to provide administrators and designers with plenty of fresh and exciting library ideas," says Joel Sims, president of Schooldesigner.