The Briscoe Library was completed in 1983 after many years of planning, and was subsequently dedicated on November 14, 1985 in honor of Dolph Briscoe Jr., who served as the 41st governor of Texas from 1973 to 1979. The library was designed by Kell Muņoz Architects. The 2009 renovation addressed new accessibility standards, re-oriented the facility security, abated hazardous materials related to the HVAC system, upgraded the life-safety systems and egress patterns, added classrooms for over 400 students, and added a new student pharmacy.University of Texas Health Science Center
Dolph Briscoe Library. 2009 renovation.
Programmatically the campus needs to compete for the global pool of medical students by offering a mix of efficiency and style. Utilizing new ceiling products to enhance intimacy in public spaces, the design creates nodes of peace out of the bustle of class schedules.
The new classrooms were designed with flexibility and tele-presence as standard features. Challenges relating to modifying the library stacks into classrooms revolved around structural issues: integration of folding partitions with the existing ceiling structure, orienting classrooms to avoid conflicts with columns, and design of specialty oversized millwork to accommodate storage of large specimens.