Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

The University of Houston: Student Center

  • 11/01/15
The University of Houston: Student Center

PHOTOS © ANTON GRASSL I ESTO

The renovation of its Student Center reflects the evolution of the University of Houston from a convenient campus that served a largely commuter student body to a nationally recognized academic institution with a strong athletics program. The new complex is designed to reflect the designation as a “Tier One” research university by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, to address students’ expectations and social needs and to facilitate their involvement with different university-based organizations.

With the renovation of 92,000 square feet of existing space and the addition of 120,000 square feet of new construction, the Student Center serves as the vital cultural and social center of the campus. The team of EYP with WTW Architects first considered the facility as part of a busy pedestrian campus. Thinking about the project holistically, with two additional new buildings and the existing building, the design team studied pedestrian traffic patterns, loading and delivery access for the retail spaces, bus and shuttle pickups and the communal exterior space.

At the heart of the Student Center, in the three-story atrium, is the reconceived Arbor Lounge. Here, in the now enclosed interior space, the monumental steps are the focal point for “see and be seen” gathering space. The overall design integrates larger gathering spaces, which can be used more flexibly, with more specifically designated service and administrative spaces.

On the Student Center’s north side a new 68,000-square-foot building solely dedicated to student organizations houses open, collaborative spaces for student organizations. The north addition also includes a new student senate chamber on the second floor. The light-filled double-height North Collaborative Lounge is center of this addition.

To the east is a 52,000-square-foot two-story addition to the original building that houses food services and amenities plus a new 450-seat theater on the ground level. The second floor houses new meeting spaces and two large event spaces.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • 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.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.