Construction
Project Team
Lead Designer: Snøhetta
Formed in 1989 in Norway, Snøhetta is an integrated landscape, interior, and architectural practice based in Oslo and New York. The firm was selected from 524 entries from 54 countries to reconceive and design the famed Library of Alexandria lost to fire almost 2,000 years ago. Snøhetta is now widely considered one of the most prominent architectural firms in the world. Since beginning work on the Hunt Library, Snøhetta has won the 2009 Mies van der Rohe Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the 2010 European Award for Urban Public Space, and Archdaily’s 2011 Cultural Building of the Year. Recent design projects include the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, the new look for Times Square in New York City, the addition to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Golden State Warriors complex on the San Francisco waterfront.
Snøhetta's design philosophy emphasizes a strong relationship between architecture and the landscape in which it is situated, where each project site provides a specific context that requires a unique solution. Dialogue and teamwork are important aspects of Snøhetta's design process, which encourages the exchange of ideas and invites the active collaboration of all team members. Snøhetta is committed to ongoing research in finding new, cost-effective, and innovative solutions that support a sustainable design ethic.
Executive Architect: Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee (now Clark Nexsen)
The Hunt Library's executive architect was Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee Architecture (PBC+L), a North Carolina firm responsible for some of the most memorable buildings in the state. Founded in 1945, PBC+L specialized in academic and cultural arts projects with an emphasis on higher education. Architecture Magazine ranked PBC + L as the 15th best firm in the United States in 2012. In 2013, PBC+L merged with Clark Nexsen, which was ranked #11 that year on the "Architect 50" list of top U.S. architecture firms published by ARCHITECT magazine.
The firm is centered on a studio model where the brightest young designers are encouraged to excel and to develop into exemplary professionals. In this setting, youth and idealism are balanced with the experience and pragmatism the firm principals willingly share.
Programming Consultant: DEGW
DEGW (now the Strategy Plus division of AECOM) is an international consultancy that specializes in the relationship between people and the design of physical place. They used interactive group strategies to understand NC State’s culture, vision, and initiatives, as well as how students, faculty, and staff would use the building in its campus context. They then collaborated with Snøhetta and the rest of the project team to help develop the Hunt Library's functional areas.
Construction Contractor: Skanska
Skanska is an international project and construction company with expertise in developing office, residential, and public-private partnership projects. Skanska has had a presence in the Research Triangle area since 1918 and currently has a local office in Durham. With a long history of work at NC State, UNC, and Duke, Skanska also constructed the Engineering Building III on Centennial Campus.
Virtual Exhibit Building Inspiration: James B. Hunt Jr. Library
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2013 April 3 | University Dedication of the Hunt Library |
| 2013 January 2 | Hunt Library Opening |
| 2012 September | Construction completed |
| 2012 Summer/Fall | Loading of books into the bookBot and furniture installation. |
| 2011 Spring/Summer | Roof construction completion; building fully enclosed. |
| 2011 Spring | Completion of parking deck. |
| 2011 Winter/Spring | Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and interior construction begins. |
| 2011 February | Curtain wall construction begins. |
| 2010 November | Elevated concrete slab pouring begins. |
| 2010 September | Library building structural steel work begins. |
| 2010 January | Library building foundation construction begins. |
| 2009 October 23 | Official Groundbreaking Ceremony. |
| 2009 September 11 | Board of Trustees releases design plans. |
| 2009 August | Site grading begins. |
| 2009 June | NC General Assembly reduces Hunt Library funding by $10,758,814, for a revised total allocation of $115.2 million. |
| 2008 September - 2009 June | Schematic design planning. |
| 2008 August 8 | Initial programming and predesign report is submitted. |
| 2008 July 16 | Additional $12 million provided for the project by the state budget, bringing its total allocation to $126 million. |
| 2008 January - August | Program planning and pre-design phase begins. Conducted by representatives of the international design consultancy firm DEGW, focus groups of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, library staff, University Library Committee members, Building Committee members, and Centennial Campus Master Plan stakeholders share their perspectives and identify needs for the Hunt Library. |
| 2007 July | North Carolina General Assembly appropriates $17 million in planning funds for the Hunt Library, with an anticipated project budget of $114 million. |
Building Committee Members
- Warwick Arden, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, Committee Co-Chair
- Larry A. Nielsen, Professor, College of Natural Resources, Committee Co-Chair
- Susan K. Nutter, Vice Provost and Director of Libraries
- Carolyn D. Argentati, Associate Vice Provost and Donald E. Moreland Deputy Director of Libraries
- Anita Brown-Graham, Director, Institute for Emerging Issues
- Wendy Burkland, Manager of Special Initiatives, Institute for Emerging Issues
- James D. Martin, Professor of Chemistry and Past Chair of the Faculty
- Thomas K. Miller, Vice Provost for Distance Education and Learning Technology Applications (DELTA)
- Carolyn Axtman, Architect and Project Manager, ex officio
- Jack Colby, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Operations, ex officio
- Michael Harwood, Associate Vice Chancellor for Centennial Campus Development, ex officio
- Lisa K. Johnson, Associate University Architect, ex officio
- Marvin Malecha, Dean of the College of Design, ex officio
- David Rainer, Associate Vice Chancellor for Environmental Health and Public Safety, ex officio