The Harvard Law School Library sought to add new functionality to their space without engaging in a costly or invasive architectural design and construction process.
Occupiable Furniture
The spaces add a capacity to the Harvard Law School library by providing students and faculty with a dedicated place to make a private call. We knew from the start that modifying the building’s architectural elements, or making structural interventions to the library was a non-starter, so the Private Talking Spaces were designed to be non-invasive from the start.
The booths are located close to the circulatory core of the building. We found that the majority of folks took phone calls in the building’s central stairwell, so we placed the booths in an adjacent landing, to help students and faculty with an immediate need find the booths easily.
The booths are compact, yet comfortable, at five feet square and eight feet tall.
Booth Features
The booth interiors are lit by recessed lighting, which creates a soft, ambient glow. Along with lighting, the booth has two power outlets, USB power for charging devices, and a pair of active fans to keep air from getting stale.
In addition to their interior features, each booth’s walls contain acoustical batting. The insulation helps create quiet inside the booth, while ensuring that sound bleed to the adjacent library spaces is minimal.
