Sam Houston State University Arts Complex Breaks Ground

A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville, TX, for the new Arts Complex, designed by GUND Partnership. A new model for visual arts buildings, it brings together arts programs from eight buildings across campus into a dynamic new center where students can pursue traditional arts studies and explore new digital arts programs like animation under one roof. The entry level of the complex invites the larger community in with a dramatic two-story gallery to exhibit work and flexible event space for artist’s talks and lectures.

San Houston State University Arts Complex

The school’s signature WASH program (Workshop in Art Studio and History) moves into the building from its previous off-campus space. This highly successful introduction to the arts gives SHSU students a broad exposure to all aspects of the programs offered, with classroom and hands-on learning experiences.

The new, 70,325-square-foot, four-story building includes classrooms, labs, and studios for painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, graphic design, animation, ceramics, wood and metal sculpture, WASH, faculty offices, indoor and outdoor galleries, working courtyards for ceramics, sculpture and WASH studios, and a student commons.

Sustainability is a key factor in the design, the new Arts Complex features state-of-the-art mechanical systems to handle the specialized ventilation needs of arts processes to support a healthy and safe environment for students and faculty.

The Arts Complex is expected to be complete in fall 2019. 

Featured

  • Wenger Names New Vice President of Sales for Performing Arts, Controls

    Wenger Corporation, which provides products and solutions for music and theater education, performing arts and athletic storage, recently announced the hiring of a new Vice President of Sales for Performing Arts and Controls.

  • Texas Recruitment

    Texas Recruitment

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The University of Texas at Austin's Texas Recruitment has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Universities Continue to Launch Multimillion-Dollar Campus Transformations

    What makes the current wave of campus development especially noteworthy is its emphasis on multi-use functionality and community integration. Institutions are no longer investing solely in academic or athletic facilities in isolation. Instead, they are creating destinations that blend recreation, health, housing, and event-driven economic activity.