Storytelling architecture: Wyoming's Gateway Center transforms space into strategic asset

In this session, Toby Marlatt demonstrates how the University of Wyoming Foundation repositioned a decade-old welcome center into a high-performing strategic asset amid today's budget constraints and enrollment pressures. He illustrates how the Gateway Center leverages architectural materials, lighting, sculptures, and evolving technology to craft immersive donor experiences that differentiate Wyoming in an increasingly commodified higher education market. He sets out practical frameworks for aligning capital projects with institutional priorities and donor values, breaking through generic campus messaging, and converting physical infrastructure into storytelling canvases that drive sustainable campaign results. He charts actionable strategies for integrating authentic narrative with strategic design — tools campus and facility planners need to justify capital investments, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and position buildings as catalysts for advancement rather than simply constructed space.