Walter Library

Digital Technology Center Expansion
and Renovation, University of Minnesota
Through expansion and renovation, EEA provided engineering expertise to transform the Walter Library into an internationally renowned technology-based learning center, housing the University’s supercomputer and headquarters for the Institute of Technology.

EEA utilized a truly unique engineering framework to create a “new building” within the structure of the old. The design team integrated the core of the building — a largely self-contained area originally designed to hold the book stacks. This space, extending upward four stories from the sub-basement, was ideal for housing the cabling and additional HVAC ductwork and equipment needed to sustain the technology center’s wired classrooms, telecommunications, and computer facilities network and support.

"The whole project was an exciting integration of historical elements with the future,"said EEA's president Bill Theisse, P.E. "For example, the masonry, marble and dark paneling of the classic library were united with innovative lighting and the latest in tele-electronic resources in dramatic two-story reading rooms."

In addition to the design of the electrical and mechanical systems including the communication infrastructure, EEA also provided the design for an upgrade in the fire safety systems for the Walter Library Digital Technology Center.