Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Minnesota, Mankato: The Connection

  • 04/01/17
University of Minnesota, Mankato

PHOTOS © LEO A DALY

The Connection at the University of Minnesota, Mankato (MSUM) solves a delicate campus planning challenge with two solutions in one — an underground pedestrian link crossing the campus mall, and an outdoor amphitheater/classroom that enhances student life.

Considered the heart of the campus, MSUM’s mall bustles with activity throughout the year. Connecting the student union, library and several classroom buildings, its robust program of sculptures and public spaces provide a gathering place for students that is welcoming, functional and artistic.

The university wanted to provide an ADA-compliant indoor passage for students crossing the mall from the library to the student union during the brutal Minnesota winters without introducing a disruptive element to the mall’s open, energetic design.

LEO A DALY responded by designing a pedestrian link that is integrated into the existing campus and becomes a key element to the campus mall: a “tunnel” with one side exposed to an amphitheater cut into the existing grade. In cold weather, a 33-foot expanse of curtain wall fills the indoor passageway with natural light. In nice weather, that same curtain wall plays backdrop to outdoor student performances, classes and movie nights.

Within the Connection, the east wall slopes back at 35 degrees from vertical. It is composed of shotcrete on top of excavated soil, waterproofing and a 3-inch-deep steel ribbed roof deck backfilled with concrete. This angled wall provides an efficient and compact structure for earth retainage, and made possible smaller and therefore less expensive footings as well as minimal disruption to the mall’s existing plantings and walking surfaces. In addition to being a structural element in the wall design, the roof decking served as a framework for the cast-in-place concrete (a project requirement). This minimized the need for supports and rented formwork and enabled construction to meet an aggressive schedule.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • 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.

  • Rowan University, HPE Partner on New Learning Initiative

    Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., recently announced that it has expanded its partnership with enterprise technology provider HPE to improve research capabilities and hands-on learning opportunities, according to a news release.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • 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.