By Catherine Dalton, AIA, RID, LEED AP BD+C

When elementary and middle schools in the Seagoville, Texas, area began experiencing overcrowding, the Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD) faced a familiar dilemma: build more classrooms or rethink the system creating the pressure.

The district chose the latter.

Educational innovation is often associated with new programs, emerging technologies or specialized learning environments. Yet some of the most impactful innovations occur when planning, policy and design are intentionally aligned to solve complex challenges.

The resulting Seagoville PK-8 Campus Magnet Model demonstrates how districts can create long-term solutions that extend far beyond building another school. By aligning facility planning, enrollment strategy, and educational programming, Dallas ISD addressed overcrowding while expanding educational opportunities and supporting future community growth.

Framing the Challenge

As the second-largest school district in Texas, Dallas ISD serves more than 134,000 students and roughly 21,000 professional staff across 228 schools, including 135 elementary schools, 35 middle schools, 36 high schools and 22 multi-level schools.

As enrollment projections climbed, elementary and middle schools within the Seagoville feeder pattern began experiencing capacity challenges. At the same time, district leaders recognized another opportunity: expanding access to school choice programming in a region that historically had fewer magnet options than other parts of the district.

Rather than viewing these as separate challenges, Dallas ISD asked a broader question: how could one project simultaneously address overcrowding, expand educational opportunity and support long-term community growth?

Looking Beyond Capacity

Overcrowding is often treated as a space problem. Typical responses may involve adding classrooms, installing portable buildings, adjusting attendance boundaries or constructing another campus. While these solutions can provide immediate relief, they do not always address the underlying system that is driving enrollment pressures.

The most successful districts recognize that capacity planning should not happen in isolation. Facility decisions influence enrollment patterns. Enrollment policies influence access. Grade configurations influence student experience. Community demographics influence all of the above.

When these decisions are considered together, new possibilities emerge. For Dallas ISD, that meant rethinking not only where students would learn, but how the district could create a more flexible and resilient educational model for the future.

The Power of the PK-8 Model

The district ultimately selected a PK-8 configuration to relieve enrollment pressure across multiple grade bands simultaneously. The value of the model extends beyond capacity management.

Districts across the country have increasingly explored PK-8 configurations for their ability to improve continuity, reduce transitional disruptions and provide greater operational flexibility.

From a student perspective, a PK-8 campus provides continuity during critical developmental years, reducing transitions and fostering stronger relationships among students, staff and families. From a district perspective, it creates greater flexibility for managing growth across elementary and middle-school grades. From a community perspective, it strengthens identity and connection by allowing families to remain within a single learning environment for a longer period of time.

Most importantly, the building becomes a tool for implementing a broader vision.

The new Seagoville PK-8 is a 118,000-square-foot, two-story campus designed to serve 800 students from Pre-K through eighth grade. The school includes STEM, language and makerspaces; science laboratories; fine-arts programs; collaborative learning environments; and flexible instructional spaces that support a wide range of educational experiences.

When Enrollment Strategy Becomes a Planning Tool

One of the most innovative aspects of the project is that the solution extends beyond the building itself.

By prioritizing enrollment opportunities for students living closest to the campus, Dallas ISD created a direct mechanism for relieving pressure on surrounding schools. At the same time, remaining capacity is available through the school鈥檚 magnet model, expanding access to innovative programming for students across the district.

Rather than treating enrollment as an administrative exercise, the district used it as a strategic planning tool.

This approach accomplishes multiple objectives simultaneously:

• Relieves overcrowding in neighboring schools
• Expands access to school choice opportunities
• Increases educational access within the local community
• Preserves district-wide magnet enrollment options
• Supports long-term enrollment flexibility

Too often, enrollment policy and facilities planning are discussed independently. In reality, they are most effective when designed together.

A Campus Rooted in Place

What makes Seagoville PK-8 unique is the way the project leverages its site as an educational asset.

Located on a 100-acre, shared educational campus alongside an existing middle school and high school, the new school sits within one of the last remaining post-oak reserves in the city of Dallas. Rather than treating the natural environment as a constraint, the project team viewed it as an opportunity to enhance learning.

Educational walking trails, outdoor learning environments and ecosystem-based studies transform the site into a teaching tool. Students can engage directly with natural systems, exploring environmental science, ecology and stewardship through hands-on experiences connected to the campus landscape.

The result is a learning environment where education extends beyond the classroom walls and where the site itself becomes part of the curriculum.

The approach reinforces a broader lesson: effective educational planning extends beyond buildings and enrollment counts to include how students experience and engage with their environment.

The Importance of Early Alignment

Projects like Seagoville do not succeed because of a building alone. They succeed because district leadership, planning teams, designers and construction partners align around a shared vision early in the process.

One of the most valuable aspects of this effort is the willingness to evaluate educational goals, operational realities, enrollment strategy and facility planning simultaneously rather than sequentially. Difficult conversations occurred early, when decisions could still meaningfully influence outcomes.

That alignment helped avoid a common challenge in school planning: solving today鈥檚 problem in a way that creates tomorrow鈥檚 constraint.

Designing Opportunity

The lessons from Seagoville also extend well beyond a single project. As communities continue to grow and educational needs evolve, school leaders will increasingly face questions about capacity, access, equity and long-term adaptability.

The answer may not always be another classroom, addition or boundary adjustment. Sometimes the answer involves building smarter systems.

Seagoville demonstrates that the most effective school investments are not simply measured by square footage or seat counts. They are measured by a district鈥檚 ability to create opportunity, adapt to growth and position students for long-term success.

By aligning educational programming, enrollment strategy, campus planning and facility design, Dallas ISD transformed an overcrowding challenge into an opportunity to expand access, strengthen community connections and create a learning environment designed for future generations.

Catherine Dalton, AIA, RID, LEED AP BD+C, is the K-12 Market Leader at KAI Enterprises.

This article was originally published in the .

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By Darien Clary听

It鈥檚 a late afternoon in May, and the Texas heat settles over the city like a heavy blanket, taxing aging HVAC systems. Inside, students collaborate on projects, teachers guide discussions, and campuses work hard to maintain the comfortable learning environments as rising temperatures place growing demands on buildings and infrastructure. The Austin Independent School District (Austin ISD) is working to ensure these environmental factors do not limit a student鈥檚 potential. Through its bond programs, the district isn鈥檛 just building classrooms, it鈥檚 creating sustainable learning environments with clean air, efficient cooling, natural light, and shaded outdoor areas so students can stay focused and ready to thrive.听

Sustainability is a driving force behind Austin ISD鈥檚 mission to prepare every student with the knowledge and skills to thrive in college, career and life. The district鈥檚 schools sit at the center of Austin鈥檚 most pressing environmental challenges, including extreme heat, air quality, equitable access to green space and the responsible use of limited public resources. Austin ISD approaches sustainability as a shared responsibility 鈥� one that supports student learning, environmental stewardship and community well-being.听

Make Sustainability a Non-Negotiable听

Too often, sustainability is approached as a 鈥渘ice-to-have鈥� instead of a fundamental part of building performance, which can make features targets for cuts with tight budgets. A solution to this can be found in Austin ISD鈥檚 Educational Specifications (Ed Specs), a board-approved document defining what every modernized campus must be. Every major construction project under the 2017 and 2022 Bond Programs must pursue Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB) and/or LEED certification. Additionally, the Ed Specs mandate 100% LED lighting with daylight sensors, energy-efficient HVAC, water-efficient fixtures, solar-ready roofs, and outdoor learning environments. When board members approved the Ed Specs, they made sustainability non-negotiable.听

Let the Community Define Sustainability听

Green building standards set the bar for resource efficiency and building performance, but sustainability is ultimately about people. Austin ISD centers a simple question: sustainable for whom? By working with the community, the district ensures every student has access to healthy, high-performing and inspiring learning environments that work for them.听

To do this, Austin ISD convenes a Campus Architectural Team (CAT) composed of teachers, parents, students and community members for every modernization project. They are co-designers, and what they know about their community shapes decisions no energy model can account for: which outdoor spaces will actually be used for learning, how a building should feel to the people spending their days inside it and what community values can be reflected in the design.听

An example of this process is designed by Perkins&Will. From the beginning, the CAT brought together staff, students, families, and alumni of the original L.C. Anderson High School, a cornerstone of East Austin鈥檚 African American community until its closure in 1971. What emerged is more than a high-performing building. Historic materials were salvaged and re-integrated, spaces like the original cafetorium were reimagined for modern learning, and the story of L.C. Anderson lives on through galleries. Paired with daylighting, efficient systems and reduced water use, the result is a school that reflects environmental responsibility and sustains cultural continuity.听

What It Looks Like in Practice听

At , designed by PBK Architects and modernized as part of the 2017 Bond Program, every dollar saved on energy is a dollar that stays focused on students, inside the classroom. Govalle now uses less energy per square foot than 95% of schools in the nation, according to data collected by the . That performance is driven by high-efficiency HVAC, a well-insulated building envelope and LED lighting paired with daylighting sensors. Heritage trees were preserved to cool the schoolyard and also help mitigate heat-island effect. Enhanced ventilation, high-efficiency air filtration, and low-emitting materials support strong indoor air quality, ensuring that efficiency gains also translate into healthier spaces.听听

Govalle鈥檚 results are not isolated. Across the district, Austin ISD has avoided $15.4 million in energy costs and $6.7 million in water and wastewater costs since 2017 through sustainable design and resource conservation.听

Darien Clary is the Director of Sustainability, Energy & Environment at Austin ISD.

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EL PASO, Texas 鈥� Students at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) will soon live in a state-of-the-art residence hall equipped with a fitness center and brand-new dining facility near the center of campus. University officials recently broke ground on a new $102 million complex, named Miner Crossing, that will provide a much-needed expansion of UTEP鈥檚 on-campus housing.听

鈥淭his will be a traditional freshman dorm with an integrated dining hall at a reasonable price for our students and their families,鈥� said UTEP President Heather Wilson in a statement. 鈥淲ith more and more students applying to UTEP from beyond West Texas, we need to expand our on-campus housing.鈥�听

The new 155,500-square-foot facility will add approximately 507 new beds in single and double occupancy rooms. The five-story residence hall will be听located听on the north side of the track at Kidd Field.听

The complex includes a new 22,000-square-foot dining room with seating for 400 guests, serving more than 1,400 meals per day. It will be equipped with a full kitchen, bakery, allergen-free zone, pizza听oven听and office spaces for staff. Students will have the听option听to choose from 11 food stations, including a salad bar, deli, grill, pizza听station听and ice cream bar.听

Study rooms and open study nooks will be听located听throughout the building, as well as a first-floor amenity space with a gaming area, living room,听a multi-purpose space and a mailroom. A 1,350-square-foot fitness center will include a mixture of cardio equipment and free weights.听

The exterior of the building will reflect UTEP鈥檚 distinctive Bhutanese architectural style, complemented by native Chihuahuan desert plant landscaping designed by Ten Eyck Landscape Architects. The firm is also behind the decorative courtyard and breezeway that will sit on the south side of the building, connecting the housing facility to Kidd Field.听

The building was designed by Ayers Saint Gross and is being built by Sundt Construction.听听

鈥淭his new housing option will allow students to be fully integrated with campus life,鈥� said Catie McCorry-Andalis, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Affairs, in a statement. 鈥淪tudents can easily access the track for exercise; the Union for additional dining options; and classes.鈥�听

Construction will take about two听years听and the dorm will be complete and available for students in the Fall 2028 semester. UTEP has 1,000 beds on campus currently and has had a waiting list for housing for the last four years.听

The project team also includes Project Control and PC Sports听and Mijares Mora Architects Inc.听

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Over the past 25 years, Speck鈥檚 work has earned more than 120 design awards, including 30+ from the American Institute of Architects. As an educator, he has received more than 40 teaching and service honors, including the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion, the highest recognition in North America for excellence in architectural education. He has taught at M.I.T., the University of Western Australia and the University of Texas at Austin, where helped found the Center for American Architecture and Design, before serving as Dean for the School of Architecture from 1992 鈥� 2001. Speck is also an AIA Fellow and served as chair of the jury to select fellows in 2005.听

鈥淟PA is the right culture fit for me 鈥� the sincerity, the attitude, the authenticity,鈥� said Speck. 鈥淚 love the interdisciplinary approach of everybody working together, the commitment to sustainability. It is just an ideal fit.鈥�

鈥淏ringing Lawrence Speck into the LPA fold is a rare moment of the stars aligning 鈥� one that strengthens our impact in Austin and deepens our contribution to the city鈥檚 design legacy,鈥� added LPA President and Chief Design Officer Keith Hempel, FAIA. 鈥淟arry鈥檚 storied connection to Austin and passion for design excellence, community鈥慸riven placemaking and meaningful carbon鈥憆eduction strategies resonate deeply with the principles that guide LPA.鈥�听

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What You Need to Know

• Texas State Technical College opened its new Construction Technologies Center to students Feb. 2 at its Waco campus.听

• The facility听consolidates听multiple construction-trades programs that previously听operated听in separate campus buildings.听

• TSTC and contractor materials describe labs and hands-on training space for building construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing/pipefitting and solar.听

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, according to TSTC.听

Learn More听

WACO, Texas听鈥斕� On听Feb. 2, Texas State Technical College (TSTC) opened a new Construction Technologies Center to students at its Waco campus, bringing several construction-trades programs under one roof.听

The opening marks a milestone for the campus鈥� multi-trade expansion project, which TSTC leaders and students say is designed to support hands-on learning and collaboration across disciplines.听

The听120,000-square-foot, two-floor structure housing Building Construction, Electrical Construction, HVAC, Plumbing and Pipefitting and Solar Energy programs.听

鈥淚t feels good,鈥� TSTC senior construction project manager Michael Schumacher said, in听. 鈥淚t is nice to see students here, sitting on the furniture and hanging out in the labs.鈥�听

Students interviewed by TSTC pointed to larger labs and upgraded learning spaces. 鈥淚 love everything about it,鈥� Plumbing and Pipefitting student Zachary Miller said, according to听. 鈥淓verything is bigger, better and there is more of it.鈥�听

TSTC鈥檚 earlier project update said the center was planned to open in time for spring 2026 semester classes and would support program growth. The May 2025 report also highlighted features such as backlighting, glassed-in labs and a shaded outdoor work area, plus student lounge areas,听offices听and meeting space.听

鈥淢y favorite thing about the building is that its design, while serving as a beautiful showcase for TSTC, also allows our students in the construction trades to see how it is put together,鈥� Schumacher听added in听.听

Built by听Rogers-O鈥橞rien Construction, the new building includes听tiltwall听panels, structural听steel听and glazing systems.听Inside听students can take advantage of new听gathering spaces,听offices听and labs,听while outside the project added听surface parking and pedestrian pathways, according to听.听

This article is based on reporting originally published by Texas State Technical College on Feb. 2, 2026, and May 30, 2025, and project information published by Rogers-O鈥橞rien Construction Company.听

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What You Need to Know:听

• The new 46,500-square-foot Early College High School facility is complete in Round Rock, Texas, expanding the program鈥檚 permanent capacity to 500 students.听

• The $31 million project replaces portable classrooms with a听consolidated听campus featuring 14 classrooms, labs, collaboration areas and indoor and outdoor athletics and dining space.听

• HPM听provided preconstruction, project听management听and quality control across the project lifecycle, from design through closeout.听

• The campus is tied to Round Rock ISD鈥檚 2018 bond program, and HPM says it is supporting听additional听work tied to the district鈥檚 2024 bond program.听

Learn More听

ROUND ROCK, Texas 鈥� Construction was recently听completed a $31 million Early College High School facility for Round Rock Independent School District in Round Rock, Texas, outside Austin, moving the program from portable buildings into a new permanent campus for the Spring 2026 semester. The community celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 13.

The 46,500-square-foot building is designed to support the district鈥檚 early college model, which combines high school instruction with college-level coursework and allows participating students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate鈥檚 degree.听

The project increases enrollment capacity to 500 students and听consolidates听instructional and听student-support听spaces under one roof.听The facility is听located on Austin Community College鈥檚 Round Rock campus, providing听students听access to nearby higher-education resources.听

Program elements include 14 classrooms, eight study rooms and three labs, along with a large听common area听and an administration suite, HPM said. Student amenities include a cafeteria with a 12-by-8-foot听video wall, an indoor gym, an outdoor basketball court, and outdoor dining and study areas.听

HPM听provided preconstruction services, project management and quality control for the build and managed the effort from design through closeout. Bartlett Cocke served as general contractor,听with听O鈥機onnell Robertson听serving听as听architect.听Rabaa Kistner听provided听geotechnical and construction materials testing services.听

鈥淭his facility听represents听more than just classrooms and labs.听It鈥檚听a space where students can explore,听grow听and prepare for their futures. Collaborating with the Round Rock ISD to bring this vision to life reinforces our shared commitment to strengthening learning environments that serve students and the community for years to come,鈥� said Denish听Sonani, senior manager of design and construction at HPM.听

The project is part of Round Rock ISD鈥檚 2018 bond program, which the district鈥檚 voters approved to fund new facilities,听renovations听and infrastructure improvements. HPM听will continue听to support the听district through its 2024 bond program and is in the design phase for more than 15 projects that will address upcoming campus enhancements and infrastructure needs.听

Attribution: This article is based on information provided by HPM in a Jan. 16,听2026听project completion announcement and an HPM project update dated May 16, 2024.听

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What You Need to Know:

• University of Texas (UT) San Antonio is advancing five facility projects across its main campus and downtown footprint in 2026.听

• The investments include new student housing, a refreshed museum space, expanded downtown academic and business-support locations, and a major new academic building.听

• The largest project highlighted is San Pedro II, a $130 million, 180,000-square-foot building tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2026.听

• A new $35 million athletics training center is also expected to be completed this fall, with $5 million contributions from both Bexar County and the City of San Antonio.听

Read More:

SAN ANTONIO 鈥� UT San Antonio is heading into 2026 with a wave of facility investment that adds housing, expands downtown academic and business-support space, and upgrades athletics infrastructure. Five projects 鈥� some already in use, others nearing completion 鈥� highlight where the university is putting construction dollars to work.听

Blanco Hall (Main Campus residence hall)听

Blanco Hall听is welcoming听its first students and听expanding听on-campus housing for first-year students and sophomores. The 155,000-square-foot residence hall at Barshop Boulevard and Tobin Avenue adds capacity for听nearly 600听students and includes communal areas for study and collaborative learning. A dedicated kitchen space is also planned to support dietetics instruction as a shared nutrition research and practice lab.听

Institute of Texan Cultures (Frost Tower relocation and refresh)听

The Institute of Texan Cultures will reopen in its new home at Frost Tower, 111 W. Houston St., on Thursday, Jan. 29. UT San Antonio staff worked with design and museum partners to 鈥渞eimagine,鈥� according to听, the museum for a more modern, interactive experience in its new setting.听

The reopening will feature the main gallery exhibition, 鈥淐ommon Threads,鈥� organized around four themes: home and family life; heritage and traditions; arts and culture; and community.听

One Riverwalk Place (downtown footprint expansion)听

One Riverwalk Place is becoming a larger hub for UT San Antonio in the city鈥檚 urban core. After Spring Break, the Valdez Institute for Economic Development plans to move its听operations there, shifting business advising and training services closer to the downtown business community.听

In fall 2025, the building also became home to the听Klesse听College of Engineering and Integrated Design鈥檚 School of Architecture and Planning.听

San Pedro II (new $130 million academic building)听

San Pedro II is tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2026,听nearly two-and-a-half听years after its groundbreaking. The $130 million, 180,000-square-foot building on Dolorosa Street sits across from San Pedro I along the San Pedro Creek Culture Park and is planned as a business- and innovation-oriented facility.听

UT San Antonio says the building will expand immersive experiential learning and professional development opportunities and support training for careers in fields such as cybersecurity, AI, computing and data sciences. Alongside San Pedro I 鈥� home to the College of AI, Cyber and Computing and the National Security Collaboration Center 鈥� the new facility is intended to strengthen the university鈥檚 role in the city鈥檚 high-tech corridor and contribute to broader investment in the San Pedro Creek area.听

Training Center (new $35 million athletics facility)听

On the main campus, a new two-story, $35 million training center is expected to be completed this fall next to the Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence. The 53,000-square-foot facility will support daily operations for men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball and volleyball, while games continue at the Convocation Center.听

Plans include two full-sized NCAA practice courts and program-dedicated support areas such as locker rooms, lounges, training and hydrotherapy space, meeting听rooms听and coaches鈥� offices. The project is backed by Bexar County and the City of San Antonio, which each invested $5 million.听

This article is based on reporting originally published by UT San Antonio Today on Jan. 5, 2026.听听

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By Lindsey Coulter听

AUSTIN, Texas听鈥� Construction is now underway on Oak Springs Elementary School in Austin, Texas. The project was part of an ongoing bond program for Austin Independent School District (AISD), which was approved in 2022 and includes more than $2 billion in capital projects for local schools. 听

Huckabee, a Fort Worth-based education design firm and the founding brand of MOREgroup, is the architect on the new 83,000-square-foot, two-story building, which will include a new gym with a basketball court, full cafeteria, theater, music studio and exterior rain garden. Designed to foster collaboration, the learning spaces, referred to as studios, will have walls that open toward the hallways, enabling them to merge with adjacent spaces to encourage interactive learning among students and teachers. The school will also include mental health and wellness areas, new presentation and display systems, technology security improvements and network infrastructure upgrades.听

鈥淭his new building will provide a safe, innovative and collaborative space that greatly enhances the school鈥檚 educational offerings,鈥� said George Zakar, project executive at Hoar Construction, the project鈥檚 builder, in a statement.听鈥淎t Hoar, we look forward to drawing on our extensive experience of working on active campuses across Texas to minimize disruption to student learning and maintain the highest safety standards throughout the construction process.鈥�听

The design will also include high-grade concrete floors and a cool, pastel color palette to complement the school鈥檚 mascot, the dolphin. In addition to dedicated outdoor learning spaces, a new playground will be built on campus and shared with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, with a community center attached to the facility for public events. To ensure student safety, the community center will have a separate entrance from the school. The school itself will also benefit from a variety of enhanced security features.听

Students and administrators will continue to use the existing building until the $47 million replacement facility is complete in spring 2027. The former school, which was built in 1958, will then be demolished and converted into parking spaces.听

The 2022 bond program also includes projects across the district, including the installation of secure entry vestibules on all campuses as well as upgraded doors, locks and security fencing. The funding will also address deferred maintenance and upgrades to plumbing, HVAC and roofing, focusing on schools with critical deficiencies. Additionally, 26 aging facilities鈥攊ncluding eight high schools, five middle schools and 13 elementary schools鈥攚ill receive full or phased modernizations. Improvements to athletic facilities will bring new turf fields, lighting and seating to the district鈥檚 athletic facilities, while career and technical education programs will receive a boost through new permanent facilities to replace portable buildings at two early college high schools.听

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HOUSTON 鈥� Rice University, a private, non-profit university in Houston, will soon break ground on the new Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL), a 75,000-square-foot multi-use hub.听听

Serving as a centralized location for essential services, from food services to study spaces to entertainment, the center aims to support connection and interaction between Rice University students and the surrounding community. The project was formally announced earlier this month and is slated for completion in fall 2027. Construction will officially begin with a May 8 groundbreaking.听听听

“Rice University is dedicated to empowering our students to become leaders who make meaningful impacts around the world,” Reginald DesRoches, Rice president, said in a statement. “The Moody Center Complex for Student Life will be a centerpiece for community, creativity and collaboration, providing our students with the resources and spaces they need to thrive.鈥�听

糖心少女 in the new facility include an extended-hours cafe and coffee shop to facilitate gathering and connection, alongside numerous meeting and collaboration rooms. A large, programming pavilion will open to the central quad to offer dynamic outdoor and indoor events such as lectures, performances and multicultural celebrations. A first-of-its-kind study, tutoring and testing space will be launched inside the facility to promote academic success, and a space devoted to career advancement services will assist students in planning for their futures.听听

The MCCSL, designed by Seattle-based architecture firm Olson Kundig alongside Washington-based architecture and planning firm Page, aims to expand student services as the university population steadily rises. This will include the addition of a new space for the dean of undergraduates to support the growing student body. Over the past 10 years, Rice鈥檚 enrollment has risen 34%, with almost 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled, according to a university statement.听

“The Moody Center Complex for Student Life is set to become a vibrant cornerstone of student activity at Rice鈥攁n open, inclusive and outward-looking space that amplifies the university鈥檚 mission to support students in their academic, personal and professional journeys,鈥� said Kelly Fox, executive vice president for operations, finance and support, in a statement.听

To enhance the complex, the neighboring Rice Memorial Center and Ley Student Center will also undergo renovation upon completion of the MCCSL. Students at Rice University will provide input on the redesigns to ensure educational needs are met and reflected.听听

A $15 million donation from the Texas-based grantmakers The Brown Foundation will go towards supporting the MCCSL, alongside a $100 million commitment from the Moody Foundation, a group focused on enhancing education in Texas. Aside from the MCCSL, the $100 million will also support 12 campus endowments focused on enriching student opportunity and success.听

鈥淭his new state-of-the-art facility will be much more than just a building; it is an investment in the future of every student, supporting them in pursuit of their passions,鈥� said Elle Moody, a 2014 trustee of both the Moody Foundation and Rice, in a statement. 鈥淢y hope is that it will provide opportunities for our students to form meaningful connections, not only with one another, but also with a vast network of scholars and leaders from local to global communities.鈥�听

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