Described by students and faculty as “the beating heart of campus,” the Kennedy Library at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) has been transformed through a major renovation led by The Miller Hull Partnership in collaboration with contractor Hensel Phelps. Completed through Progressive Design-Build — the university’s first major project using this delivery model —the 200,000 SF modernization balances digital and physical resources while creating a vibrant hub for connection, collaboration, and discovery.

Originally built in the 1970s, the brutalist concrete library was designed to support passive heating and cooling, but had not undergone significant upgrades in more than four decades. Students and faculty were left navigating conditions that were often too hot or too cold, depending on the weather, outdated systems, and a patchwork of segmented and insular renovations that obscured access to services.

Miller Hull’s design reestablishes the Kennedy Library as a cornerstone of campus life. A welcoming and vibrant first-floor entry expands the arrival experience with integrated artwork, a showcase of the library’s special collections, and a relocated and expanded Julian’s Café positioned adjacent to the main entrance.

The renovation places students at the center of the design, with significantly expanded study and classroom spaces, including 24/7 study zones on both the first and second floors and two new seminar rooms. Flexible collaboration areas and consolidated collections create dynamic, adaptable spaces, while central gathering and exhibition zones along circulation routes encourage chance encounters, celebrate campus research, and foster intellectual exchange. Equity and inclusivity considerations were integral to the design of the renovation. Extensive engagement with student groups shaped the design, resulting in a new main stair, streamlined service points, and clear signage that improve wayfinding and simplify the sensory experience. Accessibility upgrades include leveling the courtyard, improving ramps, and introducing new all-gender restrooms on each floor.

Unlocking the potential of the original structure, the renovation takes advantage of the central courtyard and existing exterior shade fins to increase daylight and visual connection. By removing corridors and opening spaces around the courtyard, students are more closely connected to nature, with new plantings surrounding a preserved central tree.

Strategic upgrades to the building envelope and mechanical systems enhance thermal comfort, improve lighting, and add heating and cooling, while reducing energy use by 30% to align with the university’s long-term sustainability goals.

Kennedy Library, Cal Poly’s first major project delivered using Progressive Design-Build, brought architects, builders, and campus partners together from the start, fostering shared responsibility and problem-solving, and keeping the $78 million transformation on time and on budget — the first major capital project on campus to achieve both. By successfully implementing this method, the project establishes a model for future campus projects.

Reopened as a revitalized academic and social hub, the Kennedy Library exemplifies Cal Poly’s philosophy of Learn by Doing. With sustainability, inclusivity, and flexibility at its core, the library once again stands as the integral gathering place envisioned more than four decades ago, ready to serve generations of students, faculty, and staff to come.

Design: The Miller Hull Partnership
Design-Build Contractor: Hensel Phelps
Structural Engineer: Buehler Engineering
Photography: Lara Swimmer