Location: Rosemont College | Rosemont, Pennsylvania

Completion Date:

Project Size:

Project Description

In late 2022 construction started on a new multi-functional academic center for Thomas More University in Kentucky. This 35,000 sf building will feature cross-programmed spaces such as the College of Business, a Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, an Institute for Ethical Leadership & Interdisciplinary Studies, and an Institute for Religious Liberty. To support these programs, a 500-seat auditorium provides necessary programming space for large audiences attending lectures, interfaith dialogues, and academic symposiums. This project embodies the outcomes of the deliberate and unique design process at MKC Architects - and our collaboration with Thomas More University and their partners. Once complete this building will be a symbol of innovation for the future of a university and the students that attend the Thomas More. 

Project Description

In late 2022 construction started on a new multi-functional academic center for Thomas More University in Kentucky. This 35,000 sf building will feature cross-programmed spaces such as the College of Business, a Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, an Institute for Ethical Leadership & Interdisciplinary Studies, and an Institute for Religious Liberty. To support these programs, a 500-seat auditorium provides necessary programming space for large audiences attending lectures, interfaith dialogues, and academic symposiums. This project embodies the outcomes of the deliberate and unique design process at MKC Architects - and our collaboration with Thomas More University and their partners. Once complete this building will be a symbol of innovation for the future of a university and the students that attend the Thomas More. 

Site Location

Alongside the goal of creating a haven for innovation, the building needs to engage an existing, detailed campus network. The building is located near the Thomas More Chapel toward the primary access to campus. As such, the design ties into campus pathways and access, while connecting symbolically to Catholicism. The siting of building allows for a strong camps connection to the existing campus corridor while simultaneously orienting itself towards Turkeyfoot Road. The building location will be the flagship development on this highly visible corner, leading the way for future development.

Design Principles

When analyzing historic church organizations, the Latin cross served not only a symbol of Christianity, but also formally as an orthogonal plan layout of efficiency. Formally, the Thomas More Center for Academics embodies this self-same conversation about axes. The bi-axial plan organization, when altered, creates additional opportunity for interstitial and overlapping spaces. As such, a distortion of axes allows for Connection, Relativity of Scale, and Interruption - more emblematic of this projects requirement of a complex building program of spaces.