Anderson Brulé Architects (ABA) designed the innovative interior of the recently completed three-story CORE “library-plus” building at California State University East Bay (CSUEB). ABA brought its enormous breadth of library design experience to the project as it partnered with Carrier Johnson +CULTURE, which served as the building’s exterior architect.

“We are thrilled to see this facility now wonderfully serving as the academic and innovation hub for the college’s main campus in Hayward,” said ABA Project Manager Chris Gombatz. “We view the name CORE — Collaborative Opportunities for Research & Engagement — as apt not only for its core library and learning functions but because the hillside landmark ties together the upper and lower campus areas beautifully. The building itself grew out of the core precepts of transparency, innovation and connectivity that characterize our work.”

The 100,977-sq. ft. facility is one of the busiest libraries in the CSU system, with its former building having served 1.2 million visitors annually. It offers students 700 more seats and 21 more group study rooms than the facility it replaced. Much more than a library, CORE brings traditional library services together with learning, innovation and technology; collaboration and engagement; and social justice, diversity and sustainability. It houses the Student Center for Academic Achievement (SCAA — for peer tutoring and study groups) and the Hub for Entrepreneurship, both of which help students become self-directed learners in the Information Age economy.

Equipped with state-of-the-art information and audio-visual technologies, interiors offer a diversity of spaces to support study rooms and collaborative commons as well as multi-media production and library spaces for print and digital collections, archives and special collections. ABA included generous open space and window area in its design to help knit the interior into a cohesive sum of many essential parts. In anticipation of earning LEED Gold certification, the building features HVAC and other systems designed for best-in-class thermal comfort, healthy indoor air quality, high levels of user controllability and exceptional energy efficiency.

Each of CORE’s three stories offers a different approach to learning designed to help develop lifelong skills. The library is on Level Two. Level One houses a collaboration zone and innovation labs. Level Three is home to the SCAA and a roof deck provides an additional place for quiet study. The visual dialogue within the building’s interior emphasizes the relationship between spaces that serve both the academic and social needs of students, and is further reflected between CORE and its campus. CORE’s structure and functionality were designed to help CSUEB hone a distinct identity in the Bay Area’s rich educational landscape and be viewed as something more than a “commuter school.”

About Anderson Brulé Architects, Inc.
Founded in 1984 in San Jose, Calif., ABA brings nearly four decades of experience and passion for architecture, innovation in design and a commitment to the transformation of the architectural profession. The firm provides a complete and comprehensive suite of services in strategic planning, architecture and interiors. ABA operates within its primary markets of Community, Residential, Health and Wellness, and Education to create sustainable environmental models and spaces. To learn more about ABA, please visit http://aba-arch.com.