Price Gilbert Memorial Library, Georgia Institute of Technology
The Price Gilbert Memorial Library, designed by Paul Malcom Heffernan and completed in 1953, represented cutting-edge thinking in both design and educational services for its time. Following its rehabilitation, the library is once again a state-of-the-art facility, serving an integral role in Georgia Tech’s core educational ecosystem. The project preserved and clarified architectural spaces, while providing a high-performance building envelope. Mass masonry walls on the south façade were analyzed and deemed to perform well with minor rehabilitation. The non-original, expansive north-facing curtainwall required total replacement with a high-performance system sympathetic to the original design intent. Original materials on the interior were recreated wherever possible. The non-historic entry rotunda was removed so that the entirety of the south façade could be seen as originally intended. The two-story original entry was restored and given a new, complementary use for scholarly events. Efficient lighting and mechanical systems were installed to decrease energy use. The final design ultimately transformed a well-designed but inefficient building into a technology-rich, people-centered space at the heart of campus.
Awards for Excellence in Sustainable Rehabilitation recognize excellent rehabilitation projects that also incorporate appropriate conservation and sustainable treatments to lessen a building’s environmental impact while preserving significant features that convey its historic significance.
