The Rare Books Addition to Friedsam Memorial Library has been honored with a Business First Brick by Brick Award.
The Rare Books Addition won in the category of Best Education Project, beating out the Lakewood Memorial Library and the Daemen College Research and Information Commons.
Awards in seven real estate and development categories were presented at a downtown Buffalo ceremony Sept. 17.
The nominees were selected by a three-person panel:
- Jennifer Aiple, executive director, Greater Buffalo Building Owners & Managers Association
- Keith Belanger, senior vice president, M&T Bank, and chairman, Buffalo Place Inc.
- David Stebbins, vice president, Buffalo Urban Development Corp.
The Brick by Brick awards were sponsored by the Bonadio Group, Community Preservation Corp. and Frey Electric Construction Co.
The Rare Books Collection includes the most important collection of Franciscana in North America, more than 9,000 rare books and manuscripts dating from the 12th century up to and including the seminal journals of renowned monastic Thomas Merton, who taught English at St. Bonaventure in the early 1940s, as well as collections from various provincial and college libraries that were entrusted to St. Bonaventure when the institutions closed.
The addition protects this stunning collection with state-of-the-art mechanical, electrical, security and fire suppression systems. The design also provides the required vault storage space incorporating high-density shelving to maximize floor space and efficiency.
The design of the addition complements both the original library and the 1970s addition with an assemblage of materials and textures.
The terra cotta roofing that for decades has helped distinguish the St. Bonaventure campus was incorporated into the design, with high-performance glass offering a way to safely open the reading rooms and common areas to beautiful southerly views and to integrate with the glass and brick of the 1970s addition.
Cannon Design was the project architect; Duggan and Duggan of Allegany was the general contractor.
The Rare Books Addition was honored last year with an American Institute of Architects (AIA) award from the Western New York chapter. AIA had previously honored St. Bonaventure’s Richter Center (completed in 2004), Café La Verna (completed in 2007) and Hickey Dining Hall (renovated in 2006) with design awards.
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About the University: St. Bonaventure is in the top 15 percent of institutions in U.S.News & World Report’s 2010 ranking of Northern universities that offer master’s degrees. It has a history of accomplishment and service that extends back 150 years. At the heart of St. Bonaventure University is the Franciscan affirmation of the dignity and worth of the entire created order. Fundamental to this vision is an awareness that it is within relationships and community that individuals discover and develop their potential.