USAFA Fairchild Hall McDermott Library

The team was tasked with producing a Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) charrette report, design analysis, and cost estimates for the renovation of the McDermott Library within Fairchild Hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), CO. McDermott Library is generally located along the north portion of Fairchild Hall, with the main exterior entrance access on the west side of the building entering on the third floor.

McDermott Library houses the Academy's collection of learning resources, both digital and physical, and supports the academic needs of the Cadet population. Functions currently within the Library include general seating, group study rooms, collection stacks, administrative space for library staff, a cafe, and Special Collections space.

The report addresses multiple building systems and components:

• Interior room configuration and finishes
• Exterior building envelope
• Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) equipment
• Other interior spaces and support areas

The renovation requires some functions within the Library footprint to be relocated prior to construction, including CyberWorx and the Institute for Future Conflicts. Other functions currently located outside the Library, such as the Academic Success Center and the Scholar's Program, will be relocated into the existing footprint.

The two main project goals of the planning charrette for McDermott Library are Academic Excellence and providing an Upgrade Strategy for the existing building.

The first goal focuses on the Library being the center of learning, fully integrated into the curriculum. As a Learning Center, the library will support Cadet academic needs as well as faculty research and teaching. To develop the ultimate goal of implementing a smart campus, tech upgrades will be incorporated and the interior space right-sized. The redesign will support the STEM focus of USAFA.

The second goal is upgrading the McDermott Library building, including room and space configurations, entrance, building systems, finishes, and furnishings.

The project team provided expertise in campus planning and design to benefit USAFA's need for higher education and academic needs, including facility short and long-range challenges and strategic planning for the future development vision of the Cadet Library.

Stakeholders desired all relevant academic, collaborative, and staffing spaces be located on floors 3, 4, 5, or 6 of Fairchild Hall. The anticipated need for storage would be distributed among library staff spaces. Included in the Library are physical, digital, and Special Collections materials essential to training and academic requirements.

Once all data gathering was completed, the project team generated three concepts encompassing alternatives for each floor for stakeholder and client review. The Preferred Concept Plan was a combination of all three concepts.

• Level 3 - Showcasing unique academic services available to Cadets was identified as a priority. These services are grouped together on this level. Bordering the voluminous infill are teaching and collaboration spaces. Most of the Academic Success Center is located on the north side with offices and corridors accessing natural daylight.
• Level 4 and Level 5 - This preferred scheme removes all high-density storage in the general collections area and utilizes the east end for the Scholar's Program and group study space.
• Level 6 - A complete overhaul of Special Collections is the highlight of the top level, with a mix of group study and general seating evenly distributed throughout the library.