Client:
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Health Care System,
Size:
75,000 SF
Completion Date:
November 2023
Provide a campus front door with an iconic building providing students and faculty a place that encourages education, social interaction, engagement and collaboration
Meet various programmatic requirements including state of the art Simulation Environment Teaching Hospital (SETH) lab, student study areas, classrooms, administration suite, library and testing center
Introduce a new architectural language for future buildings and campus development
Provide gateway to campus and iconic imagery identifying itself as a Catholic institution
19,000 SF of Glazed Curtain Wall
200+ Tons of Structural Steel
20,000 SF Simulation Environment Teaching Hospital (SETH)
20,000 SF of Student common areas
12,000 SF of Management / Administration Office Suites
Our primary design challenge was creating a new cornerstone for a growing young university. Early design concepts bridged over an open-air breezeway from street front to formal quadrangle. In order to provide a common area at the very primary point of campus, large enough for full campus Catholic Mass, this eventually became the glass structure in place today, highlighted by a 16’ tall San Damiano cross serving as a welcome beacon when arriving to the campus.
A 40’ tall, perforated metal screen perforated with St Francis’s iconic form punctuates the street facing elevation in order to signify the importance of his mission within the university. “The new St Francis Hall is going to be such a gift to the students who will be studying at Fran U. I doubt that there will be another nursing school and allied health program that will offer students the experience that Fran U will have to offer in these new facilities.” – Deacon Terry Bellon, Class of ’94 - Nursing
