Student Success District, University of Arizona

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"This project, on University of Arizona\u2019s Tucson campus, unites the\nschool\u2019s essential yet siloed student support services. While comprehensive in\nnature, involving campus planning, exterior site improvements, and\narchitectural interventions, the project is rooted in the transformation and connection\nof interior spaces to offer students elevated experiences. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The university\u2019s research showed that student retention and\ngraduation rates were much higher among those who participated in student\nsupport services compared to their peers. Many student support programs were\nquite successful, with 9,500 advising appointments, 2.3 million library visits,\nand 20,000 counseling and psychological services appointments in 2019 alone.\nUnfortunately, the majority of services were situated in unwelcoming and\nfar-flung spaces on campus, rendering them invisible to many students. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The project hinged on revitalizing three existing buildings and constructing\na new one to centralize all services along the campus\u2019 main mall. Constructed\nin the 1960s and \u201970s, the university\u2019s two libraries suffered from pancake\nfloor plans and no little to no access to daylight. Between them sits Bear Down\nGymnasium, a landmark structure that was once the campus fitness hub but had\nbeen relegated to a cubicle farm supporting various student service programs.\nAll three buildings were disconnected from each other and hamstrung by band-aid\nsolutions to the interiors that created isolated, and in some cases, inhumane\nexperiences. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In renovating the existing spaces and adding the new four-story LEED\nGold-certified Bartlett Academic Success Center, the team shaped an\ninterconnected nine-acre Student Success District that actively engages students.\nThe renovated gym is the district\u2019s heart, and elements of its suspended\nmezzanine bleachers and gym floor were carefully retained. It remains on the\nNational Register of Historic Places and was preserved according to the\nSecretary of the Interior\u2019s guidelines. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"To create a connective flow between the previously inward-looking\nbuildings, the team cut new entries by inserting steel plate portals in the\nfacades to form a new circulation language. Inside, bold graphic signage and\nwayfinding evokes a variety of desert landforms. By enhancing the entries and\ncirculation, the team provided a clear path for students in search of support,\neliminating the previously maze-like and illogical conditions. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The university welcomes a diverse student body, including a\nsignificant number of first-generation college students and those from\ntraditionally underrepresented communities like the Navajo Nation. The programs\nhoused in this new and accessible district are crucial for preparing all students\nfor academic and post-graduation success. "]]]]}