Edward S. Wolak Library Learning Commons

Southern New Hampshire University

Location: Manchester, NH

Total GSF: 50,000 GSF

Completed: 2014

Awards: 2017 AIA New Hampshire Excellence in Architecture Design Award, Honor Award

2015 American Libraries Magazine

The new 50,000 square foot Library Learning Commons, completed in September, 2014 with a construction cost of $20 million, sits at the heart of a 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH. A significant pre-design phase involved a collaborative process between owner, construction manager, and design team that allowed the program to be developed in parallel with site selection, building size, and a detailed conceptual budget.

 The goals for the project include the creation of a signature building that communicates the centrality of academics for the University and positions the new learning commons at the crossroads of the student experience.