North Carolina Central University
Shepard Library Interior Renovation
Durham, NC
The first floor of NCCU’s James E. Shepard Library has been renovated to provide a “living room” for the growing campus – a social hub that provides the technological amenities today’s students expect.
As the project’s interior design and environmental graphics consultant, Lord Aeck Sargent collaborated with the University to create a fresh, engaging space that emphasizes the University’s brand, values and history while meeting the challenges of a tight schedule and careful allocation of various funding streams.
The focal point of the project is the building’s renovated lobby, converted into a café through the addition of floor and ceiling finishes and powered furniture arrangements. Completing the space, a series of suspended etched panels feature NCCU’s logotype. Identified by a series of colorful ceiling elements, adjacent spaces include an IT Helpdesk, TechnoClassroom and Lounge, and a video wall complete with a unique tiered seating feature. Three large murals tell NCCU’s story, incorporating historical photos with quotes from NCCU’s founders. Vibrant colors throughout incorporate the University’s trademark maroon into a palette that’s warm, contemporary and inviting.