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

  • 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.