Missing in the campus plan was an easily identifiable “front door.” Thanks to a generous donation in 1999, the University of Connecticut now has that warm, approachable entry for students and visitors. The Visitors’ Center is the first impression students, parents, and visitors have of the campus.

The center was planned and designed as the principal destination for prospective students, parents, alumni, and other visitors to the campus. Campus tours originate in the Center following an audio/visual orientation presentation given inside. Campus exhibits are displayed throughout the Center’s main floor. Staff offices, smaller meeting rooms, and a catering kitchen are included.

Searching for the right university to attend is a major decision, and leaving home and familiar surroundings for the first time can be unsettling for many first-year students. The University of Connecticut Visitors’ Center helps ease the transition by welcoming students with a warm, inviting environment.

The University of Connecticut's Visitors' Center is the recipient of the AIA Connecticut Design Award 2001 and the AIA Wisconsin Merit Award 2002.

Project Information
Building Owner:		University of Connecticut
Building Location:		Storrs, Connecticut UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Reference and orientation center for campus visitors
Project Timeline		Mar 1999 Planning Start Mar 1999 Design Start Jan 2000 Construction Start Oct 2000 Completion Last known status: Completed
Project Cost:		$2,550,000
Construction Cost:		$2,150,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$286
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Atrium Auditorium Education Education: Alumni Center Education: Multimedia
Total GSF:		7,500
Project Team
Architect		Flad Architects
Landscape Architect		Flad Architects
Profile Created 02/02/2007
Last Updated 10/12/2007
About the Reported Cost Figures The cost figures reported are supplied by the firms that submitted these projects for publication, which in most cases are the designers or builders. Whereas these sources are intimately familiar with their projects, they may not be fully aware of the owners' finally-realized and recorded costs. In some cases, costs are truly and completely accounted for, and in others they represent a near approximation of the final costs. Costs have not been adjusted for year of construction, nor has any attempt been made to make regional cost adjustments. Further, costs are not comparable on any kind of detailed standard costing model. Hence, it is possible for the cost of one building to include a steam boiler, while the cost of a comparable building might not include the boiler, if steam is being supplied from an already existing campus grid. Or, in another case, a building might include excess boiler capacity to supply steam to another building. Some submittals include fees or unusual site improvements as part of the construction costs, which others do not.