Architecture and construction students develop visionary master plan for MSU cultural campus

Fourteen collaborative teams of third-year architecture and construction students at Mississippi State University worked last semester on a visionary master plan for a new cultural campus adjacent to The Mill Conference Center. Projects included conceptual designs for the anticipated Grant Library, a new Welcome Center and a free-standing university museum to house collections from the Cobb Institute Museum, the Dunn-Seiler Museum and the Department of Art galleries.

For the project, students conducted research on university museums across the Southeastern Conference and looked into precast concrete in relation to both the structural elements and the architectural cladding. They also explored sustainable design strategies and researched the 2021 International Building Code, the City of Starkville Unified Development Code, the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, the MSU Campus Plan, and the MSU Design and Construction Standards.

Associate Professor Alexis Gregory, studio coordinator, said this was the fifth year of the PCI Foundation Collaborative Studio and the second year where the student teams designed a museum for MSU.

Saunders Ramsey, executive director of Campus Services at MSU, provided the student teams with background on the project site and the development of the new Grant Library. Students worked under the guidance of School of Architecture Lecturer Ryan Ashford and Gregory along with Department of Building Construction Science Instructor Briar Jones. Teams also received input from their hypothetical clients, Derek Anderson with the Cobb Institute Museum, Amy Moe-Hoffman with the Dunn-Seiler Museum, Dixie Boswell with the Department of Art, and Cindy Gardner and Nan Prince with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

“The students had fun working with a real client and learned how important it is to collaborate within the AEC industry and working directly with precast industry partners to have a successful project,” said Gregory. “We appreciate the time and dedication of everyone involved."

A top project and honorable mention were selected from each studio: