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

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.