Wellness and Success Center University of Houston Downtown

Part of the University of Houston System, the University of Houston–Downtown serves a growing student body of 14,000. One of the university’s goals for this developing campus is to establish a dynamic campus core and nurture an on-campus community. It identified wellness as a key to student success and prioritized a prime location to show the institution’s commitment to the wellbeing of its students.

With its bold architecture, the new Wellness and Success Center helps define the campus vernacular and introduces a hub of services to engage students with campus life. The center includes fitness and recreation amenities such as sports courts, a strength training area, cardio and group fitness studios, and an elevated track. It also features a wellness suite for quiet respite, a demonstration kitchen where students can cook and learn about nutrition, and a student lounge space vital to building community on what is largely a commuter campus.

Land constraints inspired defining architectural features that embrace the campus and capitalize on downtown views. Soaring spatial volume throughout and ample use of glass bring in natural light and offer visual connections among fitness areas, the central lobby area and the outdoors, where the synergy of entry plazas between the wellness center and the recently completed science and tech building form a landmark identity for this growing campus.

Architect : SmithGroup

Associate Architect : HarrisonKornberg Architects

Total Construction Cost : $30.3M

Square Feet : 74,000

Credit: Athletic Business