Education Centre library wins Interior Design Competition

Nipissing University and Canadore College
News Release

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The Harris Learning Library at Nipissing University and Canadore College has won an award in the 2012 Library Interior Design Competition.



The award, in the Academic Libraries over 30,000 square feet category, was announced recently by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the Buildings and Equipment Section of the Library Leadership and Management Association, a division of the American Library Association.



The biennial awards honor excellence in library interior design, incorporating aesthetics, design creativity, function and satisfaction of the client's objectives. Seven winners and three honorable mentions were chosen out of 117 projects submitted from throughout North America.



“We are very pleased to see our library, and the architect's creative work, be recognized with this award,” said Vicky Paine-Mantha, president and vice-chancellor of Nipissing University. “Our students and our community members benefit greatly by having such a beautiful and well-designed building to inspire them while working and studying.”



“The Harris Learning Library is a tremendous learning resource used extensively by our students and our broader community. This award is a testament to the world-class learning environment created by the library. We thank all those who made this award-winning addition to our campus possible,” said George Burton, president of Canadore College.



Some of the key features that distinguish the Harris Learning Library include the beautiful Thomson Reading Room, collaborative workspaces for group projects, quiet study areas for individual work, a large computer lab, wireless connectivity throughout the building, an abundance of natural light, and comfortable, open spaces for students to study and relax.



Through the PALS (Public and Academic Libraries Sharing) initiative, surrounding community libraries are able to access resources and services in the Harris Learning Library, and Canadore and Nipissing students will in turn have access to the holdings of nine regional public libraries.



Congratulations to the Harris Learning Library architects: Diamond + Schmitt Architects / Evans Bertrand Hill Wheeler Architecture Inc.



Regarding the 2012 Library Interior Design Competition:



“The overall quality of the submissions was at the highest level,” said Felice Silverman, IIDA. “Each project brought a unique solution to the ever-evolving concept of a library. The designers were faced with new functional and technological challenges and responded with creativity and innovation.”



Dr. Susan Parker of the UCLA library and a member of the judging panel, agreed, “These designs delivered fresh, imaginative and comfortable spaces that have been designed, built and furnished with a thoughtful understanding of the needs of the libraries’ constituent communities.”

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