RECOGNITION:
2020 AIA New Orleans Honor Award

2019 AIA Louisiana Award of Merit

Saint Joseph Seminary College’s enrollment significantly increased in recent years, creating a demand for updated housing and academic upgrades. To accommodate this growth, Rouquette Library needed a new home to make possible the return of Savio Hall, where Rouquette Library once resided, to its original function as a student residence.

The site for the new library was carefully selected to support the current mid-century modern master plan of the campus, in a location that visitors can access without compromising private sectors of the campus. The site selected was the former swimming pool site.

The building was designed with three stories, with the ground floor used as exterior covered space for activities with easy access to other activities on campus. The elevated structure not only reflects the elevated design of nearby Pius X Hall, but also offers the seminary’s book collection protection from flood events. The second floor houses the main collection of 50,000 volumes, with faculty resources for research, writing, and reading. The third floor provides collaborative student space, two conference rooms for small lectures and meetings, and houses the library’s collection of bound serials. The new library can now offer seminarians extended hours, until 10:00 pm each evening.

In addition, as the seminarians wanted to take advantage of the views of the Abbey and Seminary College campus, the new library design provides a nearly 360-degree panorama of the entire campus.