"Before the renovation," says Rondinelli, "the building was very closed; with very little glass on the exterior wall. Aside from opening up the library interior to natural light, we wanted the design to increase the law school's visibility to the campus at large.

Now, it's like a beacon, a wonderful glass box at night. And that's only fitting; because whenever our clients at the law school talked about the project, it was always all about light."

To create a monolithic, professional presence, the team wanted the color of the laminate to be compatible to the millwork. Initially, the designers proposed warmer shades of bronze. But school officials asked for a more neutral gray. This could have posed a dilemma for the design team because gray tends to be flat, without the sense of richness and quality they felt the design demanded. Fortunately, one laminate came in a shade that met everyone's specifications—Pearlescence 2300 Platinum with Oyster Shield High-Wear Protection™ from Lamin-Art.

says Rondinelli. "Other products simply didn't have this creamy quality. Pearlescence hit the spot, solving the problem very well."

Perhaps Duke University President Richard Brodhead paid the new design the best compliment of all, proclaiming, "When you reach the point where a great law school has a great building, you realize it wasn't just an ornament, it really is an enabler of things."