Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Rice Chooses Renowned Adjaye Associates for New Student Center

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 11/05/20

Houston-based Rice University has selected award-winning architectural firm Adjaye Associates to lead the design of a new student center. The structure will include a multicultural center and a rooftop auditorium and will largely replace the campus' Rice Memorial Center.

An architectural rendering of Adjaye Associates' winning proposal for a new student center at Rice University. Source: Adjaye Associates

Adjaye, led by Sir David Adjaye, handled the design of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo and the proposed UK Holocaust Memorial & Learning Centre in London.

The university said it hopes to break ground on the project in the first quarter of 2022 and complete it by fall 2023. Current plans are for a few components of the existing center to be retained, including a chapel and cloisters; the rest will be demolished to make room for the new building. The winning concept encompasses a three-story, 80,000-square-foot structure.

"Building on the insights of Rice graduates at his firm, Sir David's competition submission reflected a deep understanding of the needs of our student community, including the need to support diversity and inclusion through a vibrant and prominent multicultural center that is a central element of this project," said Rice President David Leebron, in a statement. "Sir David's global perspective will, we are confident, result in a project that speaks not only to our community but to the broader world that increasingly sees Rice as a destination for global engagement and problem-solving."

The design selection process whittled contenders down to three finalists, with the winner selected by a committee of Rice administrators and faculty, with input from the Rice Student Association and Graduate Student Association

The university said it received a gift of $15 million from Houston's Brown Foundation, which made it possible for the project to move forward. Kendall/Heaton Associates will serve as executive architect, and Tellepsen will provide preconstruction services, Ristow said.

"We are extremely humbled and honored to have won the competition to design the new student center at Rice University," Adjaye said. "This is an important and inspiring project for Adjaye Associates and we look forward to collaborating with Rice to imagine a new campus anchor point that engages its community in the most inclusive way possible."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • Haws Corporation Marks 120th Anniversary

    Haws Corporation, which provides hydration and emergency safety solutions worldwide, recently announced that the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, according to a news release.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.