The Information Commons building appears raw and uninviting in its hostile city setting. The massing and choice of materials reinforce the toughness; contrasting cliffs of dark tiles and cascades of luminous pre-patinated copper on an in situ concrete podium establish a powerful presence.

The brief was for a combined library and IT resource mainly for undergraduates. Different types of environment and acoustic separation are created within. The enclosed silent areas are in marked contrast to the more open I Pod-friendly areas of quiet but buzzing activity.

The ground floor has a different atmosphere. Here the entrance and security resonate like a provincial airport check-in with a 24 hour coffee shop to one side and are in marked contrast to the calm of the spaces above.