The Anderson Academic Commons reflects 10 years of University-community feedback about ideal academic and library services for 21st century students and teachers.

Staff of the former Penrose Library fielded calls and collected surveys with varied requests—from demands for more group study space to calls for a place reserved for students with small children.

The result—a 154,223-square-foot academic service center—incorporates these requests, all of which aim to support and enhance how students learn and faculty teach at the University of Denver. The Commons is rooted in the notion that a library is much more than the materials it houses.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

FUNDING

5,464 donors—University of Denver alumni among them—helped fund the Academic Commons.

• The largest gift came from alumnus Ed Anderson (BFA ’71), for whom the Commons is named.
• Many rooms within the building bear the names of the project’s financial supporters, including alumni: Helen Crossley; Cappy (Catherine) Shopneck; Paul and Alesia Chan; Margot Gilbert Frank and M Allan Frank; the Deline family (three generations); Marshall Fogel; Jane Quinette; and Doug Scrivner.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction crews broke ground on the Commons project—on the site of the then-39-year-old Penrose Library—in June 2011.

• During the two-year construction project, library staff temporarily relocated its services to the Driscoll Student Center.
• The project added 10,000 square feet to the footprint of its predecessor.
• The building’s exterior is a blend of stone, copper-composite and concrete.

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Read more about the Commons' features and layout, as well as its services.