The Miller Hull Partnership completed the Student Success District to enhance the possibilities at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Located at the heart of the University of Arizona (UA), the Student Success District is a groundbreaking addition to the university’s urban fabric that redefines and revitalizes the Main Library, Bear Down Gymnasium and Science-Engineering Library to provide seamless connections and space for student engagement in the outdoor areas surrounding them.

This project creates a single, unified district from previously disconnected buildings and disparate academic programs. The design team developed a concept based on creating connections, which increases the porosity of the existing buildings by introducing both indoor and outdoor shared study and lounge spaces in a student-centric, unifying character.

The Student Success District provides spaces for tutoring, active learning, hands-on fabrication and research, and holistic health and fitness areas — all while remaining flexible to allow for shifts in functionality as trends and pedagogies change in coming years.

The complex project includes a new 55,000-square-foot Student Success Building and renovations of three existing buildings from different eras with different uses, elevations and floor-to-floor heights. Early involvement with the very diverse stakeholders and user groups was critical to understanding priorities and possibilities for the district and develop a clear path to achieve the end goal of this multi-phased project.

Design: The Miller Hull Partnership
Consulting Architect: Poster Mirto McDonald
Contractor: Sundt Construction
Photography: Chipper Hatter