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Opsis Architecture took what many University of Oregon students and faculty considered a dingy basement and turned it into a warm, inviting atmosphere.

鈥淚t was a subterranean library,鈥� said Jim Kalvelage, Opsis principal in charge of the project, said of UO‘s Allan Price Science Commons and Research Library before a $19.5 million remodel and expansion. 鈥淣o one knew it was down there. The plaza was very stark and not a place where students wanted to hang out.鈥�

The project team’s design won a 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building award from the American Institute of Architects. The team also won an honor award for excellence in architecture from the Society for College and University Planning.

Windows featured prominently in the design. The team added large windows to allow more natural light into the library. Opsis also added a true front door to the above-grade portion of the structure that leads into a new commons area. The idea was to create a space where students and faculty would want to spend time.

鈥淚t created this public face,鈥� Kalvelage said. 鈥淭his is what you walk past when going to Autzen Stadium. It has an open caf茅 and is an opportunity for people who are not even science majors to enjoy it. It’s based on acoustical gradient going from active to very quiet study zones.鈥�

On the inside, the library was expanded by approximately 4,000 square feet to more than 50,000 in total.

Suggestions from faculty and staffers influenced items as small as the sunshade that filters light entering from the west. The shade consists of 26 panels with decorations that represent the DNA of zebra fish. The university science department performs extensive research using zebra fish.

鈥淲e first suggested duck DNA,鈥� Kalvelage said. 鈥淭hat didn’t have as much meaning to the science folks.鈥�

The project team faced numerous challenges. The biggest was the structure being attached to four other buildings. Because the library had to be open during the renovation, plans were made for a five-phase construction process lasting more than a year. Water leakage was an issue as well.

鈥淲e had firewall separation issues,鈥� Kalvelage said. 鈥淲e had to not impact the adjoining buildings. We had the challenge to update and maximize every inch vertically.鈥�

The library reduced its collection of science monographs, and additional bound material was moved off-site. With more space, the facility was able to accommodate classrooms, laboratories and other spaces.

鈥淭here is a maker space for 3-D prototyping,鈥� Kalvelage said. 鈥淚t’s a hands-on environment. It allows another level of research.鈥�

The project has had some immediate impacts. The library has attracted regular visitors despite the fact that only about one-quarter of the university’s student body studies the sciences that make up the library’s collection.

鈥淚t’s a unique project,鈥� Kalvelage said. 鈥淲e are real proud of the way it turned out. The use of the library has doubled. It’s become one of the great places to hang out on campus.鈥�