The Perkins Project

Contract Includes Major Addition and Renovations to Duke University's Perkins Library

By Bea Quirk

Librarians don't like noise, but at Duke University in Durham, N.C., the university librarians are not only tolerating some loud noise - they're cooperating with the noisemakers.

That's because when all the banging, pounding and hammering is over with, the William R. Perkins Library will have a 150,000-sq.-ft. addition, a new atrium-pavilion and a renovated first floor in its current facility.

The new addition, called the Bostock Building, will be connected to the current library complex, which is made up of three buildings, constructed in 1928, 1948 and 1968. Ground was broken on the new structure in fall 2003, with a completion date of this fall. Also currently under construction is the Karl and Mary Ellen von der Heyden Pavilion, a two-story atrium/reading room located off the main entry to the library.

Once those structures open, work will begin on phase two, renovating the first floor of the Perkins building. That's set to be completed in fall 2006. The cost for the three components - jointly called the Perkins Project - is approximately $52 million. Bovis Lend Lease of Raleigh is serving as the construction manager.

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"Our biggest challenge is maintaining a study environment during construction," said Ashley Jackson, Duke's project manager for the Perkins Project. "Noise is the worst thing, but there is also dust and fumes."

The library staff has worked closely with the construction team to minimize disruption of library operations. For example, demolition and excavation are scheduled during summer and semester breaks. Construction is halted during finals. Library users - primarily students - are kept informed of the construction schedule and what areas are most likely to be impacted, both on the Web and by postings in the library. Earplugs are also made available.

"I've been amazed by how many have been used," Jackson said. "It's incredible."

Steps have also been made to protect the library's highly valuable collection. The Bostock Builing will be attached to the existing library by a 25-ft.-wide corridor on each level, except the first. An interior wall was built against the construction wall to maintain the integrity of the existing structure, keep its heating and AC systems intact and keep out animals. Some materials have also been moved.

The library's location - on The Quad, the symbolic heart and soul of Duke - gives it great prestige, but it also creates design and logistical challenges.

The design, developed by Boston-based Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott, includes the new building, the atrium and renovating the existing library complex - the latter of which will be completed in phase two.

Given today's technology and how research is now conducted, libraries have to be much more than simply a place to store books. The design process on the Perkins Project included input from students, faculty, staff, librarians and alumni on their needs.

"The library is the centerpiece of intellectual activity on campus, a place of scholarship and discovery where the social aspect of learning is also important," said Geoff Freeman, the Shepley Bulfinch principal in charge of the project.

Tradition is important at Duke, and because the library is located on the Quad, it has to feature the same Gothic architecture and Duke stone - limestone from the university's quarry - as the rest of the buildings. The front of Bostock does indeed feature that on the front side of the building facing the Quad. But on the backend - which faces newer buildings - precast and brick make up the exterior.

The connector between the two structures features the same exterior materials, and from the outside, the structures look like one contiguous building.

"You don't see a lot of stone buildings these days, and there are only a limited number of subcontractors who can do the work - it's a small workforce out there," said Barry Berger, project manager for Bovis Lend Lease. For the entire project, Bovis is using about 25 subs with as many as 175 workers onsite at any given time.

The site is small, too and is located among existing buildings, all of which must maintain operations. In addition, three other construction projects are going on concurrently, and Berger said construction coordination had to extend to those sites. He added that some deliveries were taken offsite and that the stone was dressed and packaged before taken to campus.

Bovis has a longstanding relationship with Duke and has completed about a dozen buildings for the university. "Duke is a very special client for us," Berger said. "They have special needs and requirements, and we are focused on meeting them. By working on multiple projects, we have a better understanding of them and how to address them."

But even with that long history, the Perkins Project stands out. "It is a rare opportunity to build a building at this location (on the Quad) and of this prestige," Berger added. "It's a signature building, and we are honored to be a part of it."

Project Team:

Owner: Duke University, Durham, N.C.
Architect: Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott, Boston
Construction Manager: Bovis Lend Lease, Raleigh, N.C.

Useful Sources:
http://www.lib.duke.edu/perkproj/