A new 68,000-square-foot student center and services building is now serving the students of Mountain View College in Texas, while also creating a highly visible landmark on the 300-acre Dallas campus. The building was designed by the Dallas office of Dewberry, a privately-held professional services firm with offices throughout the nation.

The two-story, $14.4-million facility houses such programs as college admissions, recruiting, counseling, career services, testing, academic advising, financial aid, the international students resource center, health and disability services. The student center portion of the building accommodates a bookstore, cafeteria, food services, and a new fitness center.

An 88-foot logo tower rises from the building and serves as an iconic structure on the wooded site, visible to students as well as motorists passing the campus. "The tower provides a much-needed focal point for the campus," says Timothy P. Layendecker, AIA, LEED AP, who served as Dewberry's lead designer for the project. "The building is a key component in the campus master plan both functionally and in terms of its visual impact."

"This building afforded Mountain View College the opportunity to create a one-stop shop experience for the students, in which all the services needed for enrollment are located in the same building," says Sharon Davis, vice president of business services for the college. "The outdoor pavilion, which is frequently used for student programs, speakers, and celebrations, is an added bonus for campus events. The contemporary building design is both aesthetically pleasing and functional."

The student center project was Dewberry's first for the campus. Construction was also completed recently on the adaptive reuse of more than 55,000 square feet within two multiple-story buildings that were partially vacated when the new student center opened. Dewberry's design for the $2.3-million adaptive reuse project created a variety of new spaces, including 16 smart classrooms, faculty offices, a 3,000-square-foot library expansion, computer labs, an art gallery, a dance studio, and conference space.

In addition to Dewberry, project team members for the student center and services building include Jaster-Quintanilla for civil and structural engineering; Meza Engineering and Piazza Partners in a joint venture for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering; and Caye Cook & Associates for landscape architecture. Dewberry provided technology design services. Steele & Freeman served as CM-at-risk.