Rackline shelve library plans - Cornwall University

When the architect who masterminded the unique design of the new “hub” campus for the Combined Universities in Cornwall set to work, one thing was clear: this would be a building like no other.

With some of the most beautiful landscape in the world to protect and an emerging reputation for creating ambitious and unusual buildings, Cornwall needed something a little bit special for the home of a unique project that forms the lynchpin of the economic revival of the poorest area of Britain.

Unable to create the University of Cornwall as a separate entity, the project was instead formed as a “hub and rim university” by a coalition of partners – Exeter and Plymouth universities, Falmouth College of Arts, the Open University, the College of St Mark and St John, Peninsula Medical School, Cornwall College, Truro College and Penwith College.

The aim was to create the link between Further and Higher Education, enabling students to study one or more degrees without leaving Cornwall.

The recently completed Tremough campus, near Penryn, forms the centre of that activity and provides an opportunity for new courses to be created specific to Cornwall.

What has emerged is a campus with a unique design including a community environment where all subjects are studied under one roof, with each room specifically designed and equipped for its purpose and where students collectively meet in one big facilities area.

The Library Facility is no exception.

The turnkey project consisted of Rackline providing:

• Electronic Security Gate
• Issue Desk
• OPAC Terminals
• Static shelving for books
• Static shelving for videos
• Static shelving for journals
• Study & Video Carrels
• Map Cabinets & Light Box
• Mobile shelving for archiving

The most striking feature of the building design is the deep concrete roof that supports a layer of soil 300mm deep and landscaped with indigenous plants such as Sedum. This does two things - it creates a very high thermal mass so the sun’s heat can’t get through in the summer and the heat loss is low in the winter. Also when it rains, much of the water is absorbed, creating very little impact on the local drainage system.

STATIC LIBRARY SHELVING
Rackline installed 238 bays of Proform static shelving to provide 1,424.4 linear metres of storage. This capacity is to allow for growth in the volume of books over the next few years

Proform is constructed of a double panel so the aperture is completely smooth and free of obstructions. This makes it ideal for the storage of books and manuscripts etc.

back