Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library reopened to the campus and community on Monday, September 15, marking the successful completion of the university’s first major project delivered using Collaborative Design-Build, an innovative approach that kept the $78 million transformation on time and on budget.
The Collaborative Design-Build process brings architects, builders and campus partners together from the start, fostering shared responsibility and problem-solving throughout the project. Kennedy Library is the first Cal Poly project to use this method, setting a new standard for future campus construction. Tackling this first Collaborative Design-Build project with Cal Poly was design-builder Hensel Phelps and architect The Miller Hull Partnership.
“This project spearheaded a new way of delivering projects at Cal Poly,” said Carla Brown, program manager for the Kennedy Library transformation. “By working side by side from day one, our teams anticipated challenges, streamlined decisions and delivered a building that meets the team’s vision without delays.”
Interim Dean of Library Services Katherine O’Clair said the transformation will have an immediate and lasting effect on students.
“These changes will give our students a more welcoming, flexible and inspiring environment to study, collaborate and create,” O’Clair said. “The renovated library will be a place where the entire campus community can come together to learn, connect and thrive.”
Will Cates, project manager for Hensel Phelps adds, “The Cal Poly team’s willingness to engage in the collaborative design-build process from the beginning has been instrumental in keeping the Kennedy Library project on track. We appreciate the trust Cal Poly has given Hensel Phelps, Miller Hull and the entire design-build team in helping guide the university through delivery of its first collaborative design-build project.”
The two-year transformation has reimagined Kennedy Library to better support Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing mission and evolving student needs. Key upgrades include:
- A welcoming entry experience with expanded lobby and integration of new artwork.
- Clear wayfinding with a new main stair, streamlined service points and signage.
- A vibrant first floor with relocated and expanded Julian’s Café.
- Unlocked potential with an improved and accessible courtyard.
- Inclusive and equitable design with ADA improvements and all-gender restrooms on every floor.
- New dedicated galleries for public exhibitions and additional high-density storage for Special Collections and Archives.
- Prioritizing students with additional study and classroom seating, including two new seminar rooms.
- Efficient investment with improved exterior insulation and upgraded systems that allows the library to improve lighting, add heating and cooling, while reducing energy use by 30%.
“We saw tremendous potential in the original Kennedy Library to be reimagined as a brighter, more connected heart of campus,” said Danielle Buttacavoli, principal at The Miller Hull Partnership. “By opening the building to natural light and views, upgrading systems to improve efficiency and reduce energy use, and focusing every design move on student experience, we were able to transform a heavy concrete structure into an inclusive, welcoming and sustainable hub for learning and collaboration.”
During the transformation, Kennedy Library services and programs continued across multiple temporary locations on campus. Kennedy Library will once again serve as the heart of campus life, a vibrant, welcoming environment that encourages innovation and collaboration.
To learn more about the transformation, visit afd.calpoly.edu/facilities/planning-capital-projects/project-news/kennedy-library.