|
contents | technologies | |||||||||
| Raising the bar on Law Library design  Quinnipiac University's School of Law Center features Rockfon ceiling systems. The Quinnipiac University School of Law Center provides both private and collaborative space for the study of law on a picturesque campus in North Haven, Connecticut. The nearly 155,000-square-foot, three-floor law center offers state-of-the-art classrooms, a 180-seat courtroom complete with judge's chambers and a jury deliberation room, a legal clinic space, mediation rooms, and a moot court and mock trial room to help students realize the full spectrum of participation in a law career. At the Law Center's core is its 50,000-square-foot Lynne L. Pantalena Law Library. Designed by Centerbrook Architects and Planners, the library's project team included general contractor FIP Construction, distributor N.T. Oliva and Rockfon. Inspiring Knowledge, Working Together "The library is really the intellectual heart of the law school," says Jennifer Brown, dean of Quinnipiac University School of Law Center. "We like to think of the law library as a kind of a crossroads where students can find each other, they can find knowledge and they can find that sense of community where we're all learning and working together." The Law Center also brings together numerous Rockfon ceiling systems to create a cohesive environment of reverence for law's traditions, as well as inspiration and energy for its pursuit. Featured throughout the space are: • Rockfon Spanair torsion spring concealed metal panels • Rockfon Planostile metal ceiling panels • Rockfon Infinity Perimeter Trim • Rockfon Alaska acoustic stone wool ceiling panels • Rockfon Tropic acoustic stone wool ceiling panels Appealing Aesthetics Visitors to the library naturally gaze upward to a 220-foot long, three-story, light-filled atrium. The barrel-shaped vaulted ceiling is composed of Rockfon Spanair torsion spring concealed metal panels finished in a satin silver color and Rockfon Alaska acoustic stone wool ceiling panels in bright white. The panels' reflective surfaces maximize daylight through the clerestory windows. Rockfon Alaska panels also were selected for the central staircase's landing areas and for the two-tiered, 150-seat courtroom. Rockfon Planostile metal ceiling panels also accentuate the courtroom's ceiling above the judge's bench, witness stand and jurors' box. Sound Judgment Beyond aesthetics, Rockfon ceiling panels optimize acoustics in the courtroom to support speech intelligibility. Rockfon Alaska's excellent sound absorption promotes better concentration in the library's open areas. Rockfon Tropic meets the study rooms' performance requirements. "There are a lot of different spaces within the law library," describes Dean Brown. "There's an open reading room with a little bit more of a buzz and activity, and people cross paths; and team study rooms where groups of two, three or six get together and go over outlines. We have quiet reading rooms where you could hear a pin drop. And then, there are open spaces; kind of a lounge space where students will sometimes retreat just to have a little quiet time on their own or with a friend or two." Quinnipiac University's School of Law Center's intentional design results in a state-of-the-art learning center where law is cooperative, not combative and its facilities reflect this collaborative approach. write your comments about the article :: © 2017 Construction News :: home page |