Study Space: Harvard library

One of my favorite places to study is at “Gutman Library” at Harvard University. I guess it all really depends on the individual and their studying preferences but for me what I love most about this library is the way it’s designed.

The thing I like the most about this library is the windows and the open space. Especially on a really beautiful day, a lot of natural light just flows into the room which really puts me into a good mood whilst studying. The artificial lighting which brightens up the space as well is not too overpowering but rather subtle. If you notice they seem sort of dimmed down. I like this because it gives the room that warm, comfort feel. I think they especially tried to give that feeling with in the area that has a fireplace and comfortable chairs around it. The color scheme also lends itself to that in that there are more of warmer tones in the area but not so much in a way where it dampens the mood. It’s probably the contrast with vibrant colors, like the lime green color in the cafe, that make it seem bright and cheery as well.

On the first floor of the library there is a cafe with seating areas on one side and a study space with a fireplace on the other. On the second floor, is a quiet study area. So depending on my mood or what I’m working on that will determine which floor I’m studying on. Usually, I’m doing more work that requires me to be more focused so I’ll usually be upstairs. However, even when I’m upstairs and it’s all quiet I like the fact that there are windows. Just looking outside at the small street with people walking or at the trees just calms me. One thing I don’t enjoy is that I wish there were more study spots in the library. It can get fairly crowded and it’s not a huge library. Especially on the first floor around lunch time when everybody is there to eat or chat with friends. So a lot of the spaces are taken. It doesn’t help that there are a lot of those individual purple chairs like you see in the photo. Although they are nice, they also take up space so that means less chairs for people to sit in to study. I think it would also be nice to have some whiteboards that students can use. More rooms for groups to study in would be awesome as well.

Overall though, I really like the environment of this library. I feel like it’s a great place to study whether it be you want a quiet area to really focus in or a cafe-like area where groups can get together and study over coffee and snacks.