Located within the Main Building at The University of Texas at Austin, known locally as the Tower, the Texas Recruitment project expands student access to outward-facing facilities located within the iconic building. As part of the University's push to turn its Main Building back into a student space, Texas Recruitment relocates student-facing programs to offer a central place for students to connect with administrators. Building on the services offered by the neighboring Texas One Stop, the project streamlines students' access to university resources while fostering a supportive atmosphere, ensuring their ability to navigate not only student life but their journey beyond academics as well. The welcoming character of this space offers a calm, flexible, and student-centered environment at the heart of UT campus.

Student well-being has become a top priority for universities across the nation. Caring for the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of their populations is the key to student success. At The University of Texas at Austin, staff and faculty are committed to providing exceptional student support services that extend beyond the academic sphere. As part of the University's push to transform its Main Building back into a student-centered space, the Texas Recruitment suite provides centralized services and a welcoming face for a population of over 55,000 students. Built in the 1930s, the iconic UT Tower is emblematic of the University's identity; combining and emphasizing student services within this landmark structure represents the continued efforts of the University to support all aspects of student life.

Through the consolidation of services previously provided by offices scattered across campus—recruitment, admissions, orientation, and student success initiatives—Texas Recruitment is designed to diffuse students' stress, inspire confidence that problems will be addressed, and efficiently deliver answers to students' questions. The project creates a defined sense of place for students to associate with their interactions with administrators.

Inspired by its former life as the 1930s Reserve Reading Room, the project revitalizes the open spatial qualities that were lost when the area was later subdivided into small, closed office spaces. To restore the spirit of the original reading room, the design drops the floor to increase the ceiling height of the space, pairing this new height with a reconstructed version of the original concrete beam ceiling structure.

Allowing natural light and scenic views to permeate the main space once more, the Texas Recruitment office includes individual service rooms that allow for private one-on-one meetings, positioned opposite a glassy conference room near the entrance. The versatile seminar area offers opportunities for shared usage with other groups in the building, as it can operate independently from the rest of the suite. Open seating and worktables in the main area encourage students to meet casually with staff or use the room as a study space. A flexible room at the rear of the space, often used for student orientation training, adds additional much-needed meeting space to the building.

Together, the Texas Recruitment project provides efficient, centralized services that enable students to focus on academics, a rich student life, and a successful graduation. As primary representatives of the University in its interactions with the student body, it is essential that this space embodies the mission of the institution. The suite is imbued with the character of the past, connecting the current generation of students to those who came before them. The design concept honors the historic significance of the building by reinforcing, renovating, and replicating original architectural elements while incorporating a modern vocabulary to represent the present and future experiences of the users. The final design is an example of McKinney York's vision of optimistic architecture—a way of creating space that provides a positive experience for the people who work there and the people they serve.

Architect(s):

McKinney York