Arizona State University, College Avenue Commons

In conjunction with Architekton, Gensler designed this new academic hybrid facility, merging four distinct user groups into one vertically integrated community building that would become the new “front door” of ASU. The lower two floors were pushed back, creating a plaza and forecourt; the upper three floors, comprising academic uses, are organized around an atrium that connects students and faculty and cantilevers over the sidewalk below to provide shade and an urban plaza. An efficient structural grid and offset core create a column-free framework for maximum flexibility. The building’s geometrically and ecologically astute façade harmonizes the Campus Commons with its urban Sonora Desert context.