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Lounge and pre-function space in the UDC Student Center.

underground electrical vault that could not be built over. Taking stone panels along the grand staircase recall both the concrete that
into account these two factors, the architects developed a plan in defines the campus and nearby commercial buildings of buff brick.
which the bulk of the new building was placed at the southern The rest of the Student Center is primarily clad in copper-colored
end of the site, with a narrow wing running along the western metal panels that complement the beige of the concrete. Aiming for
edge and a smaller plaza to the northeast that now serves as a LEED Platinum certification, the architects limited the total glass
more appropriate complement to the Metro entrance. A new grand area of the façades, thus minimizing solar gain in the summer and
staircase links the plaza with an upper-level quadrangle, which in heat loss in the winter. A syncopated pattern of slender windows adds
turn connects to sidewalks that lead to the International Center interest and visual rhythm. Vertical fins of perforated aluminum
and beyond, thus preserving the neighbors’ beloved shortcut. filter sunlight entering the windows while lending a sense of depth
“The school is calling this new plaza the ‘front porch,’” said to the façades.
Roland Lemke, AIA, LEED AP, principal at CannonDesign. The Student Center’s interior programming also reflects the
“The stairs are like the stairs to a house, just bigger.” desire to blur the boundaries between the university and the
“The site is right next to one of five commercial hubs along community. A spacious atrium, accessible directly from the small
Connecticut Avenue [above Rock Creek Park],” noted Marshall, “and plaza and lined in the same copper-colored panels used on the
we saw this as a real opportunity for place-making.” Contributing exterior, serves as a dining and social hub for students and the public.
to that goal is the project’s most prominent architectural element, a Street-level retail and independent food service establishments are
clock tower. Although utterly modern in its architectural form and expected to open soon. Upper levels include offices for the student
expression, with its slim, angled fins bracketing a glassy spire, the newspaper and student government, along with a “wellness center”
tower fulfills a traditional role, helping to mark the main entrance that neighborhood residents may use for a small fee. Meeting and
to the building while creating an instant landmark visible from gathering spaces are also available to community groups by request.
well up and down Connecticut Avenue. Marshall can claim a personal connection to UDC that proved
The architecture of the new building relates to the existing helpful during the design process. “I started my academic career at
Brutalist buildings on campus but offers a warmer aesthetic. Cast UDC,” said Marshall, who went on to get his bachelor’s degree

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