Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Valparaiso University: Duesenberg Welcome Center

  • 07/01/16
Valparaiso University: Duesenberg Welcome Center

PHOTOS © DANA LEEK/MIRAGE STUDIO, LLC

The first college or university visit is critically important for students and families. This is guiding many institutions to create campus centers reflecting the identity that makes each unique. The goal for Indiana’s Valparaiso University was to create a new campus gateway and welcoming experience for prospective students, their families, alumni and guests.

The Valparaiso University Duesenberg Welcome Center designed by Shive-Hattery is located on a prominent meadow at the main campus entrance graced with panoramic views.

A gently sloping roof forms a connection with the surrounding campus Prairie Style architecture and frames a glimpse of the iconic Chapel of the Resurrection, which represents Valparaiso University’s foundation as a faith-based institution. The lobby is a transparent welcoming beacon of activity day and night, and is a first stop in this light-filled facility.

The 14,800-square-foot Welcome Center is home to the Office of Admission, as well as meeting and presentation spaces. Warm finishes provide settings for diverse activities from contemplation, to meetings and social gatherings, while providing a gallery backdrop for telling the story of the university.

Exhibits are displayed in the lobby and along the main street of the building, and include an interactive campus map, and a 60-foot-long timeline highlighting over 125 years of university history, including artifacts representing significant moments. When they return to campus, it has become the first stop for alumni who appreciate the Welcome Center as a place to reconnect with their alma mater.

A highlight of the facility is a 16-foottall by 31-foot-long lobby mosaic named “Lightfall,” inspired by the Valparaiso University motto “In luce tua, videmus lucem” (In your light, we see light).

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.