New student center to ‘complete’ central quad
Breezeways, arches and outdoor seating will abound at the Moody Center Complex for Student Life set to break ground May 8. The 75,000-square-foot complex was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig and has an expected completion date of fall 2027.
The MCCSL was designed to encourage students and activities to spill out of its open first floor and onto the adjacent lawn, wrote Alan Maskin, the lead architectural designer for the project, in an email to the Thresher.
“We saw these new buildings as an opportunity to finally ‘complete the Quad’— fully framing the outdoor space as it was conceived 130 years ago,” Maskin wrote.
In addition to several outdoor seating locations, the design includes an outdoor stage where students can watch film screenings and attend concerts, and a courtyard with amphitheater-style seating. Bridget Gorman, dean of undergraduates, said the outdoor features are one of the most exciting aspects of the design.
“I hope I’m walking into the central quad on a sunny day and I’m seeing students sitting on the steps outside of the pavilion, and in tables and chairs all around the outside of the new building,” Gorman said.
Inside, the complex will include Rice Coffeehouse, also known as Chaus, expanded meeting rooms, study spaces and an additional café.
“We envisioned these interior spaces as dynamic hubs where placemaking, nature, and community naturally intersect,” Maskin wrote. “The interior design of the new building draws inspiration from the allure of a shaded grove, guided by the concept: ‘meet me at the grove.’ Much like a campus landmark, the grove becomes a rooted living space, an embodiment of Rice University’s spirit and community.”
The building's upper floors will house student support offices that are currently scattered across campus, including the deans’ offices, the Disability Resource Center and Office of Academic Advising. The relocation of these and other offices was a key motivator for the project, said Kate Abad, associate dean of undergraduates.
"The idea is to create spaces where students can feel welcome,” Abad said. “You're not just going straight into someone's office, but feel welcomed and can learn about all the services we have."
Gorman said feedback from the Student Association was accounted for in the MCCSL’s design.
"I don't think I was at all surprised when I saw the content of [the feedback], because we've known for some time about students' desire around space, for student clubs operating, around dining, around performances," Gorman said. "The new building gets us down the path to where we want [to] go with that, and my hope is that with the renovation [of the RMC] that'll really round it out."
The new building will feature three Farnsworth Pavilion-sized spaces and a 500-square-foot conference room. The Center for Career Development will occupy the building's fourth floor, while the Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students will have a dedicated space for its drop-in tutoring services.
The building will also address feedback from Chaus, general manager Alysa Bijl-Spiro said.
"Over the last few years, we've encountered some mechanical and environmental issues with the older space," said Bijl-Spiro, a Duncan College junior. "We're looking forward to moving into the new one so that we can serve our customers more efficiently and more reliably".
Kate Hilton, a Chaus barista, is hopeful that the new space provides additional seating to cope with the growing student body and space for new offerings, she said.
"Definitely [a] larger space with more amenities and more areas for students to gather is needed, but I hope they try to maintain that kind of cozy atmosphere that Chaus has," said Hilton, a senior at McMurtry College.
In an effort to limit disruptions to the building's current tenants, the Rice Memorial Center will remain open and receive renovations after the MCCSL is complete.
"Before, when we were going to build [the MCCSL] where [the RMC] was, we would have displaced everything, probably for two years," Gorman said. "That would have been a semi-traumatic process to put everybody through. So I think we're deeply relieved that by doing it this way, we don't have to do that."
The Office of Student Activities is the only office housed in the RMC that will not relocate to the new building, Abad said.
Student media organizations and Pub at Rice will also stay in their current locations. Head bartender Gabi Varga said that Pub’s location is crucial to its operation.
"I cannot express how grateful we are to be able to stay here," said Varga, a Duncan College sophomore. "Pub is a center of social life here at Rice and part of that is because of our space."
As Rice's enrollment increases, the need for additional student space has become more urgent, Abad said. Beyond providing additional square footage, she said the MCCSL will enable student success and enhance the Rice experience.
"We want our spaces to align with where we are as a university, and I'm excited that we'll have a brand new facility to be able to help make that happen," Abad said.
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