Temporary structures have been erected on the campus of Cal Poly to provide students with additional options for studying as the long-awaited renovations of the university’s library continue through the early phases.
The structures, referred to as tents but could be called “tensile structures,” according to a university official, have been placed in two parking lots on campus as the Kennedy Library undergoes extensive renovations.
The structures, located in lots C7 and H11, have doors, power, heat, light and furniture, according to Mike McCormick, vice president of Facilities Management & Development at Cal Poly.
“The tents are just another choice of places for students to study,” McCormick said. “There are many other options on campus.”
In addition to the temporary structures, seven other buildings on campus have been designated as ‘study spaces,’ including Baker (Building 180), Fisher Science (Building 33) and Sierra Madre Hall (Building 113), among others.
View the full list of temporary study space locations on the Facilities Management & Development website.
The Kennedy Library closed on June 16 so the planned two-year renovations could begin. The library is anticipated to reopen during fall quarter of 2025.
The $77 million renovations include new code and seismic requirements, expansion of 24-hour study spaces, improvements to the building’s accessibility, a coffee shop on the first floor, and, for the first time, air conditioning.
Anthony Palazzo, executive director of Facilities Planning & Capital Projects, described to KSBY’s Adam Rainbolt the renovations as an attempt to “create a facility that is more conducive to how education works in the modern day” and one which will “bring students to the library who may not have gone otherwise.”
The building is anticipated to use 30% less energy and officials are aiming for a LEED Gold rating.
All of the services housed in the library have been relocated to about a dozen temporary service points, according to McCormick. View the full list of temporary service point locations on the Facilities Management & Development website.
