A library that flexes to the needs of the students

Location
Allendale, Michigan
Offices

GVSU - Mary Idema Pew Library

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) envisioned a library that was inspired by the needs of today’s students and the evolving skills they would require for the rest of their lives. Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons—a true shift in library creation—is designed to connect the library more closely to student learning and success. So how do we design a library that meets the need for browsable materials with a desirable study and collaboration space?

Location
Allendale, Michigan
Offices

Services

Markets

Picture students researching

Wherever they are in the library—or all over the campus—when they need to grab a book, they can look it up in the online catalogue and request it from the library’s Automated Storage and Retrieval System.

A true shift in library creation
1500
Seats
600K
Book capacity
75%
Spaces lit by daylight
Every student can find the right spot for themselves with over 31 different types of indoor or outdoor seating
Automated storage and retrieval system can deliver a resource in under a minute
One of the many strategies that turned the building to its site and helped the library achieve LEED Platinum
We designed different zones for different uses: monk-like spaces for no distractions and high-energy zones for groups. The noise starts at the ground level and gradually drops in volume as you ascend.

Supporting learning when class is over?

The Mary Idema Pew Library is the answer. The building’s student and user-focused design provides an assortment of learning, collaboration, and social interaction spaces to respond to the needs of today’s student.