The lead and local architects on the Hunt project — Norwegian firm Snøhetta and Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee of Raleigh, respectively – designed the LEED-certified building to capitalize on the beauty of the surrounding environment, said Patrick Deaton, associate director for learning spaces and capital management of NCSU Libraries. A fifth-floor observation deck looks over a wide expanse of trees, while a second-floor study space overlooks a rain garden filled with North Carolina plants.

“I love the way they’ve incorporated the beauty of North Carolina,” Nutter said.

The building aims to inspire big ideas and enable students to realize them. In 100 group study rooms, students and faculty can move tables and chairs to accommodate collaboration. Wall-sized screens will make large-scale data visualization possible. In some rooms, the walls themselves will move, allowing the space to expand and contract to fit the groups using them.

"I think we're going to see some very happy students when the Hunt Library opens," Nutter said. Hunt Library opens Jan. 2, 2013.

Work and play: they are the twin poles of college life. Indulge in one too much, and you’ll sacrifice the other.

At the renovated and expanded Talley Student Center, however, students will be able to engage in both activities. Students will do it all in the New Talley: grab a meal, catch a show in Stewart Theatre, hang out with friends and plan a massive volunteer project with a student organization.

Designed by NC State alumnus Turan Duda and built by contractors with NC State connections, the New Talley will give NC State something it’s lacked, said Jennifer Holland Gilmore, Campus Enterprises communication manager.

“NC State’s never had a place where everyone comes together,” she said. “This will be that place.”

The renovation and addition will be completed in two phases. The first, opening in late 2013, will feature a new array of dining and banquet options. Wolfpack-themed campus eateries – Tuffy’s Diner, Los Lobos Mexican Grill and Red Sky Pizza Company– will join the established chain Jason’s Deli.

Phase two will bring other new dining choices, including the 1887 Bistro. The bistro’s decor will celebrate NC State’s history, Gilmore said.

Diversity will be the theme of the new food options, according to Gilmore and TJ Willis, assistant director for the University Student Centers. The new restaurants will cater to a range of tastes, from vegan to international.

Other elements of phase one include a grand ballroom, Port City Java coffee shop, Wolf Xpress print station, gaming and meeting areas, and a new Senate Chamber.

Phase two, which will start with the closure of Talley in mid-May 2013, will include a new NC State Bookstore, renovations to Stewart Theatre and new office space for student organizations. It will include spaces for Student Government, the GLBT Center, expanded space for student leaders and student organizations as well as other offices and departments focused on student leadership, engagement and diversity.

When it’s completed in late 2014, the New Talley will be a strong recruitment and retention tool for NC State, Willis said. It will wow potential freshmen and, by giving students a modern place to gather, help build the bonds that support student success.

"It's the convergence of work and play," Gilmore said.