Contact: Kassidy Church
kchurc01@calpoly.edu

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library will reopen to the campus and community Monday, Sept. 15, marking the successful completion of the university’s first major project delivered using Collaborative Design-Build — an innovative approach that kept the $78 million transformation on time and on budget.

The Collaborative Design-Build process brings architects, builders and campus partners together from the start, fostering shared responsibility and problem-solving throughout the project. Kennedy Library is the first Cal Poly project to use this method, setting a new standard for future campus construction. Tackling this first Collaborative Design-Build project with Cal Poly was design-builder Hensel Phelps and architect The Miller Hull Partnership.

“This project spearheaded a new way of delivering projects at Cal Poly,” said Carla Brown, program manager for the Kennedy Library transformation. “By working side by side from day one, our teams anticipated challenges, streamlined decisions and delivered a building that meets the team’s vision without delays.”

Interim Dean of Library Services Katherine O’Clair said the transformation will have an immediate and lasting effect on students.

“These changes will give our students a more welcoming, flexible and inspiring environment to study, collaborate and create,” O’Clair said. “The renovated library will be a place where the entire campus community can come together to learn, connect and thrive.”

Add Will Cates, Hensel Phelps’ project manager for the transformation: “The Cal Poly team’s willingness to engage in the collaborative design-build process from the beginning has been instrumental in keeping the Kennedy Library project on track. We appreciate the trust Cal Poly has given Hensel Phelps, Miller Hull and the entire design-build team in helping guide the university through delivery of its first collaborative design-build project.”

The two-year transformation has reimagined Kennedy Library to better support Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing mission and evolving student needs. Key upgrades include:

• - A welcoming entry experience with expanded lobby and integration of new artwork.
• - Clear wayfinding with a new main stair, streamlined service points and signage.
• - A vibrant first floor with relocated and expanded Julian’s Café.
• - Unlocked potential with an improved and accessible courtyard.
• - Inclusive and equitable design with ADA improvements and all-gender restrooms on every floor.
• - New dedicated galleries for public exhibitions and additional high-density storage for Special Collections and Archives.
• - Prioritizing students with additional study and classroom seating, including two new seminar rooms.
• - Efficient investment with improved exterior insulation and upgraded systems that allows the library to improve lighting, add heating and cooling, while reducing energy use by 30%.

“We saw tremendous potential in the original Kennedy Library to be reimagined as a brighter, more connected heart of campus,” said Danielle Buttacavoli, principal at The Miller Hull Partnership. “By opening the building to natural light and views, upgrading systems to improve efficiency and reduce energy use, and focusing every design move on student experience, we were able to transform a heavy concrete structure into an inclusive, welcoming and sustainable hub for learning and collaboration.”

During the transformation, Kennedy Library services and programs continued across multiple temporary locations on campus. Upon opening, Kennedy Library will once again serve as the heart of campus life — a vibrant, welcoming environment that encourages innovation and collaboration.

To learn more about the transformation, visit afd.calpoly.edu/facilities/planning-capital-projects/project-news/kennedy-library.

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About Cal Poly

Founded in 1901 and part of the renowned California State University system since 1960, Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, four-year, comprehensive polytechnic public university located in San Luis Obispo, California. Known for its Learn by Doing approach, small class sizes and open access to expert faculty, Cal Poly is a distinctive learning community whose 22,000 academically motivated students enjoy an unrivaled hands-on educational experience that prepares them to lead successful personal and professional lives.

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About Hensel Phelps

Founded in 1937, Hensel Phelps is one of the largest employee-owned general contractors in the United States. Driven to deliver EXCELLENCE in all we do, our vision and our core values of Ownership, Integrity, Builder, Diversity and Community define our Hensel Phelps culture and guide our amazing project teams. Hensel Phelps continues to set the industry standard for design-build project delivery, driving innovation and collaboration across every phase of construction. For more information about Hensel Phelps, visit www.henselphelps.com.

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About The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP

The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP is an internationally recognized architecture, planning, urban, and interior design firm that works to create a regenerative and inclusive future through the built environment. Since its founding in 1977, Miller Hull has been designing dynamic and environmentally responsible buildings that provide enduring value for their communities. The firm has studios in Seattle and San Diego with work extending across multiple typologies for a range of public and private clients where people Live, Work, Learn, Gather and Serve. Widely recognized for innovative, timeless designs and a partnership-driven practice, Miller Hull has received over 350 local, regional, national, and international awards for design excellence, including the American Institute of Architects Firm Award and Architect 50’s Top Firm for Sustainability. For more information, please visit www.millerhull.com.