Edsel Ford Memorial Library

The Hotchkiss School engaged JCJ to reimagine the Edsel Ford Memorial Library as the intellectual heart of campus—a learning commons where the entire school community could gather for interdisciplinary research, collaboration and discovery and celebrate the school’s extensive print, digital and historic collections.

Working closely with library staff, school leadership, faculty and students, JCJ led a collaborative planning process to establish a shared vision for the library’s reinvention. Through workshops, interviews and stakeholder engagement, the study explored how the library could better support evolving approaches to teaching and learning while improving access to rare books, archives and special collections.

The resulting plan transformed the library from a destination on the campus periphery into a central part of daily academic life. Recommendations included creating flexible spaces for research and collaboration, integrating environmentally controlled special collections into an accessible teaching environment, and improving connections between the library and the school’s primary circulation routes to encourage greater use and interaction.

As the study progressed, its scope expanded beyond the library to include master planning for the surrounding campus precinct. The plan established a framework for integrating the library with a new entry sequence to the dining hall and adjacent campus spaces, creating a more cohesive academic environment while positioning the Edsel Ford Memorial Library as a vibrant center for learning, scholarship and community.