The college’s existing library and administration buildings were 40-year-old, one-story structures located at the entry to campus. Looking north to the City of Port Angeles and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the two buildings blocked visual access into the campus and turned their back on the sweeping view of the Olympic Mountains. The project brief called for a solution that would create a gateway to the college’s campus and programs, increase use of the library and meet the school’s commitment to sustainable design.

The new Library and Administration Building met these challenges by creating a gateway to the Peninsula College campus and inviting people to engage in the life of the academic community. The one-story, 27,500 sf library is organized around a spacious reading room that has a commanding view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island to the north. The two-story, 7,500 sf Administration Building sits to the east of the library.

The new buildings are linked by an existing concrete and brick arcade, which serves as a pedestrian bridge over the main entry. Originally, the arcade supported a wood framed structure with eight, small faculty offices. The offices were demolished in order to open up the view over the bridge, which is a local icon reflected in the college’s graphic logo.

Uploads

Images: