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Leo Kolligian Library
University of California Merced
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Leo Kolligian Library
The first all-new campus in the University of California system
since the late 1960s, UC Merced opened its doors to students for
its first academic year in September 2005. The campus is the nation’s
first public research university to be built in the 21st century
and will be home to the Sierra Nevada Research Institute. The Leo
Kolligian Library, a $37-million, concrete-frame structure, is the
first building on campus and is set to be the new university’s
flagship building.
The Leo Kolligian Library serves as a hub for research and study
on the UC Merced campus. Library resources and services are available
in the building as well from computers connected to the campus network
and to the Internet. It houses the latest in high-tech features,
complete with wi-fi communications.
 The
cast-in-place concrete structure contains a clear glass-paneled
atrium that connects the library’s three- and four-story wings.
Because the atrium’s fourth floor radiates light across campus
when lit at night, the atrium has become known as “the lantern.”
The atrium’s fourth floor houses a reading room with high-end
finishes and wood paneling. On the bottom floor of the atrium is
the library’s central entrance where four sections of roll-up,
garage-style doors allow the entryway to become an open-air space
during warm days.
When complete, the UC Merced campus will be the first in the country
to reach LEED Silver status. Therefore, LEED standards were a main
priority during construction of the Leo Kolligian Library. The library’s
design takes full advantage of the sun in heating and cooling. Many
aluminum sunshades are in place at various elevations along the
library’s exterior to provide natural cooling benefits.
To meet LEED requirements, workers separated concrete, steel and
wood waste into separate bins, which were shipped to a recycling
center. Rigorous procedures were in place to reduce the amount of
dust. In addition, many of the building's features include recycled
materials and sustainable designs to cut down on the use of power
and water.
Although the library’s original contract called for 50-percent
fly ash in the concrete mix, the concrete subcontractor soon realized
the challenges associated with this aggressive effort. The foundations
were poured with the 50-percent fly ash mix, but when pouring began
for the vertical columns, the mix design required a much longer
curing time than other mixes. For the vertical columns, economics
proved it wise to specify a 15-percent fly ash mixture, a mix design
that maintained LEED standards.
Concrete was specified for the Leo Kolligian Library for its economic
benefits as well as for its aesthetic properties. The building’s
interior and exterior concrete was left exposed. Standard reinforcements
were used throughout the building.
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| Owner: University
of California Merced
Architects: Skidmore Owings and Merrill;
San Francisco, Calif.
Fernau and Hartman; Berkeley, Calif.
Structural Engineer: Skidmore Owings
and Merrill; San Francisco, calif.
General Contractor: Swinerton Builders;
San Francisco, Calif.
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