Williams College Bookstore

Project Details

Project Description

FROM THE ARCHITECTS:

CambridgeSeven has received LEED Platinum designation on its Williams College Bookstore project. The project, which began in 2015, was recently completed at the end of last year. The firm was tasked with not only creating a bookstore for the campus, but also designing a space that could be utilized for so much more; a space for a coffee shop, with a dedicated area that could be sectioned off for events, special talks, etc., as well as indoor and outdoor leisure spaces for the community.

The bookstore was designed to complement the Spring Street architecture, but it also has a modern edge and aesthetic. Some design highlights and elements are:

· There is no gas used in the building, everything is electric
· The EUI is very low, which they achieved using LED lights, sensors and daylight harvesting
· The spirit of the interior ceiling came from the pages of a book when opened – the staircase living room area becomes the hearth of the two-story space
· The ceiling is all birch plywood
· There are fabric paneled hidden doors to section off the café space for programming
· The firm was not only responsible for the design and architecture, but also all of the furniture and finishes

CambridgeSeven’s Stefanie Greenfield was the principal lead for the project. She and her team had a holistic vision of the architecture and interiors that would support the retail space within it in a meaningful way. The bookstore was never meant to be an empty space, but rather an integrated one that evokes a notion of precision mixed with playfulness; a true community ‘living room’ that is so much more than just a bookstore.