May 13, 2024 _ news

Miami University’s King Library Debuts Renovations

Construction has wrapped on the first phase of renovations to Miami University’s King Library. The renovation is the first step toward realizing Miami’s vision for its Libraries’ Facilities Master Plan, which outlines a comprehensive renovation. Part of our collaboration with Miami involved helping them break down the scale of a full renovation into smaller phases that could build on one another.

This project maximizes daylight and ushers in an open and collaborative lounge as well as a new classroom, conference room and breakout space on the first floor. Before starting this project, we helped Miami update their Master Plan for King Library and helped them surface opportunities for a small, initial project. By prioritizing this piece of the renovation, Miami University’s students, leadership, and potential donors get to see and experience how library renovations positively impact learning, research, and connection.

The way students use academic libraries has changed. As academic libraries move little-used print material off-site, it frees up space for students to better access maker spaces, digital resources, and collaboration spaces that support hands-on learning.  Converting underutilized space (like an outdated computer lab in this project) into a series of casual meeting and study spaces, this project creates a new type of space for students that aligns with their needs.

“University libraries impact every student on campus,” says Nick Sillies, our project architect who spoke at the library’s ribbon cutting. “They are continually evolving to provide students access to new resources and new types of information, and the spaces need to adapt to support that.”