Libraries
Since designing our first library in 1876, our firm has contributed to the continuing evolution of library design. With a deep portfolio of civic and higher education library clients, we are recognized for our award-winning programming, planning, and design of libraries and learning commons.
Explore the portfolio by category
Academic Libraries and Learning Spaces
Creating timeless collaboration
Harvard Medical School
Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library was transformed from an inward looking, brutalist building into an outwardly engaging 21st century library. By reinvigorating the interior experience and services, along with the addition of collaborative environments and community-focused amenities, Shepley Bulfinch addressed the shifting role of medical and health sciences libraries in today’s medical education.
The Latest
Q+A: Perspectives on Modeling and Drawing in Architecture
by Derek Noble, AIA, LEED AP Architectural models—whether physical or digital—play a crucial role in communicating design concepts, making ideas accessible and comprehensible. Thoughtful model-making bridges the gap between abstract...
Spaces4Learning Covers Transformative Lighting Design at Countway Library
Senior Interior Designer, Associate Kalyn Pavlinic, NCIDQ, LEED AP, IIDA, shares with Spaces4Learning how the renovation of Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library utilized biophilic principles to adapt a dark, insular space into one of...
Architect’s Newspaper recognizes Shepley Bulfinch design in Best of Year Awards
The Architect’s Newspaper released their editor’s picks for the 2025 Best of Design Awards. Shepley Bulfinch’s design for Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library was recognized in the Building Renovation—Education category. Creating...
Library Journal: A Sense of Purpose
Library Journal reviews a Year in Architecture, showcasing projects that balance creativity and practicality to welcome the entire community. The University of North Carolina Wilmington Library is highlighted in the article as a case study...
Sound Check: Implications of Busier Libraries
by Barak Yaryan, AIA Walk into the first floor of a modern library and you might feel like you’ve entered a train station. The hum of conversation, the clatter of footsteps, the buzz of collaboration—it’s a far cry from the hushed...
Designing for Connections Beyond Books: Information and Users
The modern library is more than its stacks; they’re home to multimedia resources, makerspaces, and exhibitions. Join Principal Kelly Karpinsky, AIA, LEED AP, at the North Carolina Library Association Conference, “Books and Beyond:...
Houston Freed-Montrose Library wins IIDA New England design award
The Houston Freed-Montrose Public Library has won an IIDA New England Design Award in the Community and Culture category.The IIDA NE Design Awards is the region’s premier event celebrating outstanding interior design across New...
ALA Core Forum: The Quiet Revolution is Loud
Senior Architect, Associate Barak Yaryan, AIA, joins an expert panel at the American Library Association 2025 Core Forum.As libraries are seeing visitor numbers reach or surpass pre-pandemic levels, the demand for quiet study spaces can be...
Breathing New Life into Brutalist Libraries
by Bob Mohr, AIA, LEED AP The Harvard Innovation Lab in Allston, MA is a renovation of a 1965 Brutalist design by Hugh Stubbins. Photo © Shepley Bulfinch. Thanks to modern conservation efforts and popularization via media like the Oscar...
All Gender Restrooms: Embracing Change in the Built Environment
by Amanda Vigneau, IIDA, NCIDQ, and Christopher Hillebrand, AIA, LEED AP As architects and designers, we face design challenges rooted in the built environment. Our collaboration with student activities professionals emphasizes the...
Public Libraries
A vibrant, community-centric hub
Houston Public Library
Freed-Montrose Library
The Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library integrates the vibrant character of the Montrose neighborhood into a sleek, modern space. Designed as a community-centered cultural hub, the space’s prismatic color palette and local art installations create distinct, welcoming zones.
Meet the Team
Janette S. Blackburn, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Principal
Janette’s award-winning higher education work is informed by a deep understanding of campus life and learning environments and the variety of programs supporting community within colleges and universities.
Kelly Karpinsky (Brubaker), AIA, LEED AP
Principal
An accomplished library designer, programmer, and planner, Kelly has worked on a wide range of collegiate libraries and learning commons throughout the United States and internationally.
David Whitehill, AIA
Principal
A collaborative design professional, David has experience in design and management for diverse higher education, cultural, and religious clients, with expertise from planning through construction completion.
Expertise
Our academic and campus environment planning services create flexible higher education spaces that adapt for growth opportunities.