The Challenge
One of KLH’s first BIM projects was the $12.5 mil-
lion renovation of the Hebrew Union College Klau
Library in Cincinnati, Ohio. The library is home to
the second-largest Hebraic text collection outside
of Jerusalem with a vast collection of rare books,
some more than a thousand years old. The project
entailed the renovation of the existing five-story
library and the construction of a new addition with
stacks and a viewing area for the collection, as well
as conference and office spaces.
To return the books to a permanent location as
quickly as possible, the project had an aggressive
construction schedule. “The oldest books were
temporarily stored in a separate building that would
eventually be demolished,” explains Jeff Millard,
principal at KLH. “We had to carefully plan and
phase the project to ensure that this building, and
the rest of the campus, stayed online during con-
struction. Furthermore, our design had to provide
precise humidity and temperature control for the
library and meet the college’s requirement for
energy efficiency.”