phillips academy oliver wendell holmes library · return to the newly renovated oliver wendell...

AnnBehaArchitects

AnnBehaArchitects

PHILLIPS ACADEMYOLIVER WENDELL HOLMES LIBRARYANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS

Phillips Academy: Oliver Wendell Holmes Library | 1AnnBehaArchitects

The renovated main entry opens directly into an enlarged lobby that has been reconfigured to provide views to the outside and bring in more daylight. The library staff now sits front and center at a consolidated help desk facing the main entrance, and the open plan makes way-finding more transparent, with sightlines to the main stair, the Archives and Special Collections Reading Room, a children’s area, and other open reading areas, as well as to the campus beyond. A nearby digital display provides a place to share news and events as well as to showcase student work. A direct connection to the makerspace on the floor below is provided by a generous daylit staircase, with the makerspace activity made apparent upon arrival by window wells flanking the main entrance.

The creation of the new and dynamic 5,500-square-foot makerspace includes a woodshop, robotics lab, and an ideation and study space. Laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC facilities, and open workstations support individual and group exploration of digital and physical fabrication methods. A multiscreen interactive digital wall offers students more room and resources to explore creative pathways and data analysis.

Through the creation of a new exhibition and study center adjacent to the building’s main reception area, ABA has given a more prominent place to the Archives and Special Collections and the Sidney R. Knafel Map Collection, the Academy’s renowned collection of historic maps. Archival materials have been consolidated and moved into new climate-controlled storage, with a curated selection used for teaching and learning with objects in the now connected classrooms.

Throughout the library, rooms have been designed with change, collaboration, and innovation in mind. A key design move — demolishing the core of the original building to remove five levels of book stacks — created space for new floors with reconfigurable classrooms and group study areas at the heart of the library. The general print collections have been distributed around the building to ensure that books maintain a strong presence among digital resources.

An existing gallery has been redesigned to provide an adjustable framework for the Tang Institute, an incubator for global teaching and learning methods. In the Freeman Room, its historic fabric renewed,

Students at Phillips Academy, Andover, started the 2019–20 academic year eventfully — with a joyful return to the newly renovated Oliver Wendell Holmes Library. A central component of the Andover experience for nearly 90 years, the library has been re-designed by Ann Beha Architects to enhance the academic, creative, and social life of the Academy. Integrating the interior of original 1929 building with that of a 1987 addition, ABA’s vision preserved the library’s historic spirit while transforming the spaces into nimble, adaptable settings capable of responding to the shifting demands of learning and information access.

new lighting and up-to-date audio-visual systems better serve students for study and gathering. The beloved Garver Room, its original finishes and fixtures reconditioned, has been preserved and enhanced for quiet study. These and the interventions at the core of the library make possible a 50% increase in student seating without enlarging the building’s footprint, a crucial design move for sustainability and the preservation of open space on campus.

Following the principles of Phillips Academy’s Sustainability Framework and Climate Action Plan, ABA embedded environmental management strategies into the renovation design. The introduction of energy-efficient air-conditioning without affecting the character of heritage spaces — a major objective of the project — was accomplished by recovering space occupied by an outdated ventilation system. Over 90% of the existing building structure, 95% of the existing exterior cladding, and 50% of the interior materials were re-used in the project. New plumbing fixtures reduce water use while strategically placed recycling and bottle-refilling stations promote sustainable practices in the library’s post-construction life.

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Existing book stacks are demolished.

A new core is constructed for program spaces and building services.


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1. East Entry Vestibule2. Renovated Lobby3. New Help Desk4. New Makerspace5. New Ideation and Study Area6. Compact Storage7. New Divisible Classroom

8. New Group Study Area9. Renovated Open Reading Area10. Collections Storage11. New Elevator12. Special Collections Storage13. Dole Room (Classroom)14. Exterior Envelope Upgrades

1929 BUILDING

STACKSA new structural core replaces the original book stacks and supports new academic programs and services.

HISTORIC SPACESWell-utilized historical spaces are upgraded with audio-visual technology and building services, including air conditioning.

1987 ADDITION

ACCESSIBILITYThe main entry is upgraded to be fully accessible.

OVERVIEW SECTIONCOLLECTIONS STORAGEGeneral collections are redistributed across all levels and special collections are consolidated into climate-controlled compact shelving.

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BRIGHT AND INVITINGThe reconfigured space near the main entrance breaks down traditional barriers between library functions, with a children’s area abutting a glassed-in space that serves as the Archives and Special Collections and Knafel Map Collection Reading Room. The space can also be used by students for quiet study.


FLEXIBLE SPACESAt the heart of the library stands an expansive classroom, divisible into two standard-size rooms. When deployed as a single room, the Academy’s Knafel Map Collection, now stored in the library, can be shared with groups using both original artifacts and digital displays. Other campus groups can also schedule time in the room. Sizable openings in the room partitions allow for natural light and a visual connection to the adjacent informal reading areas.

“I look at [the library renovation] as a means to create a physical center for innovation on a campus filled with ideas . . . this project gives us an opportunity to harness the energy of this creativity in a new way . . . I think the new space gives us the opportunity to share the

wonderful ideas students have and tell their amazing stories.”

— Michael J. Barker, Director of Academy Research, Information, and Library Services


WORKING TOGETHEROn the second floor, new group study rooms, outfitted with collaborative tools including digital displays and white boards, have replaced book stacks. A flexible, open study area features a floor-to-ceiling writable wall.


ADJUSTABLE FRAMEWORKThe former McLean Gallery has been transformed into a new home for the Tang Institute, a global ideas lab focused on developing and sharing innovative approaches to teaching and learning. An expansive new glazed opening on the south wall brings in daylight and connects the interior with the campus outside. The historical details of the space, including the large glass laylight, have been preserved and enhanced.


MADE FOR MAKINGBuilding off the success of a much smaller existing makerspace, a new makerspace known as The Nest more than triples the footprint dedicated to hands-on creative work. Well-lit bays provide dedicated areas for 3D printing, laser cutting, carpentry, sewing, and storage as well as communal worktables and open workstations. Large garage doors connect adjacent data and robotics labs to the main makerspace area.


INNOVATION AS TRADITIONLocated at the junction of the makerspace and the relocated general collections, the Makerspace Café extends the creative energy across the library’s lower level. A multi-screen interactive digital wall supports academic programs, including data visualization classes, and provides a place to present and display other content, such as student inventions. The exposed structure and white-oak millwork provide a contemporary foil to the historical spaces on the floors above. Shelves flanking the digital wall feature books composed by Andover alumni, gesturing to the Academy’s long history of creativity and scholarship.


PRESERVATION OF SPIRITThe Georgian-revival Garver Room has been revivified, its original oak fixtures and furnishings reconditioned to provide space for quiet work and reading. A re-lamping of historic fixtures with LED lights improves visibility at the individual desks and enhances the study experience. The area behind the ox-eye window above the room’s main entrance houses ductwork for new, energy-efficient mechanical systems.

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1. MECHANICAL

2. ARCHIVES

3. STUDY

4. MAKERSPACE CAFÉ

5. COLLECTIONS AND STUDY

6. WOODSHOP

7. ROBOTICS

8. MAKERSPACE

9. DATA LAB

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1. GARVER ROOM

2. DOLE ROOM

3. FREEMAN ROOM

4. READING AREA

5. CLASSROOM

6. STAFF WORK ROOM

7. KNAFEL ROOM

8. READING ROOM

9. ARCHIVE ROOM

10. HELP DESK

11. LOBBY

12. CHILDREN’S AREA

13. ENTRY TERRACE

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EXISTING SECOND FLOOR PLAN

SECOND LEVEL FLOOR PLAN

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1. SEMINAR ROOM

2. OFFICE

3. TANG INSTITUTE

4. STUDY AREA


PROJECT TEAMAnnBehaArchitects

nn Beha Architects is engaged in contemporary design and in the preservation and adaptive re-use

of landmark buildings. Based in Boston and practicing internationally, ABA has led planningand design projects for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Massachusetts Institute of Technology;University of Chicago; the Smithsonian Institution;the US Department of State; and Yale University.

Owner: Phillips Academy

Construction Manager: Consigli Construction

Structural Engineer: Odeh Engineers

MEP/FP Engineer: AHA Consulting Engineers

Cost Estimator: A. M. Fogarty & Associates

Lighting Designer: Sladen Feinstein Integrated Lighting

Acoustician: Acentech

Code Consultant: JS Consulting Engineers

Audio / Visual Consultant: The Sextant Group

Envelope Consultant: Building Restoration Services Corp.

Civil Engineer: Samiotes Consultants

Specifications Writer: Kalin Associates

Graphics Consultant: Selbert Perkins Design

Professional Photography: Peter Vanderwarker

phillips academy oliver wendell holmes library · return to the newly renovated oliver wendell...

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