Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/13/25

Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

Funding comes from a $100-million donation from the Moody Foundation—the largest in university history—and a $15-million donation from the Brown Foundation. The new facility will be built in the Central Quadrangle alongside the existing Ley Student Center and Rice Memorial Center (RMC). Both of these facilities will be renovated after the new construction phase to create a cohesive complex, the news release reports.

"Rice University is dedicated to empowering our students to become leaders who make meaningful impacts around the world," said Reginald DesRoches, university president. "The Moody Center Complex for Student Life will be a centerpiece for community, creativity and collaboration, providing our students with the resources and spaces they need to thrive. We are sincerely grateful to the Moody Foundation and Brown Foundation for their incredible vision and support."

The new facility will include amenities like student services offices, study areas and meeting rooms, a café, and a coffeehouse, as well as indoor and outdoor event space for performances, lectures, and multicultural events.

"The Moody Center Complex for Student Life is set to become a vibrant cornerstone of student activity at Rice — an open, inclusive and outward-looking space that amplifies the university’s mission to support students in their academic, personal and professional journeys,” said Kelly Fox, the university’s executive vice president for operations, finance, and support.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Parallel Architectural Products

    Armstrong World Industries, provider of interior and exterior architectural applications, recently announced that it has acquired the Colorado-based Parallel Architectural Products, according to a news release.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.