University of Georgia – Special Collections Library
Athens, Georgia
The Special Collections Libraries Building at the University of Georgia’s Athens campus was completed in 2011 and is the home of the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection. In addition to providing much needed space for these rare collections, this project resulted in enhanced green space and sustainability on the north campus. The project achieved a LEED Gold certification and replaced an impervious campus parking lot with lush native planting beds, a spacious turf quadrangle and artistic pedestrian connector walks. A series of cisterns, which have a combined capacity of over 104,000 gallons, were designed to capture runoff to meet the irrigation needs of the site and to supplement the future central utility plant’s water demands.