AV today marked the opening of its new West Campus building at a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating its new interdisciplinary hub. The building is designed to foster interdisciplinary creative learning, collaboration, and community engagement.
AV President Laurie A. Carter
A Bold New Chapter
The $38 million development, located at the corner of East College Avenue and South Drew Street, features more than 100,000 square feet of academic and public space. The building features the Trout Museum of Art on the first floor, state-of-the-art academic spaces on the second floor, and beautiful one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments on the third and fourth floors that are available to the general public.
The project is a response to a growing need for new and innovative ways of preparing students for the changing world and the evolving careers ahead of them as they move into the workplace after graduation.
The interdisciplinary hub encompasses the Humanities, Math, Statistics, Computer Science, and the Conservatory of Music to cultivate cross-disciplinary collaboration and spark innovation.
The project was made possible through partnerships with the Trout Museum of Art, community leaders, and Lawrence alumni. Fredrick Fisher and Partners of Los Angeles led the architectural design. Locally owned Boldt Construction served as the general contractor for the project, and the 40 upper-level, LUX apartments are now managed by NAI Pfefferle, a commercial real estate firm headquartered in Appleton.
West Campus
Lawrence Students, West Campus
Overlook Gathering and Performance Space
Large Classroom
Medium Classroom
Small Classroom
Music Production Studio
Digital Humanities Laboratory
Hallway to Faculty Offices and Classrooms
Commons Gathering Space
Commons Gathering Space
Susan Hall, a 1976 Lawrence alumna and current member of the Lawrence Board of Trustees, said Lawrence held a special place in her heart because it was where she learned to think deeply, listen generously, and believe in the power of community.
“When I first heard the vision for West Campus, I was struck by its boldness, A space that brings together the humanities, mathematics, computer science, and the conservatory. That’s not just interdisciplinary—it’s transformational.”
Hall and other key supporters included local business leader John Bergstrom, Curt Detjen, President and CEO of the Community Foundation, and the Van Asten family.
Van Asten Family Overlook
“Partnerships like this ensure that our students’ education is not confined to classrooms but is enriched by direct engagement with the cultural fabric of our region,” President Carter said. “We are building bridges between theory and practice, past and future, campus and community.”
AV Provost and Dean of the Faculty, Professor of History Peter Biltstein
A Creative and Collaborative Environment
The West Campus academic spaces include:
- Eight state-of-the-art classrooms
- Digital Humanities laboratory
- Music production studio
- Mathematics Commons for collaboration and study
- 30+ offices, including soundproof offices for Conservatory faculty for private music instruction with students.
Brooklyn Schara, AV’s Student Body President, said West Campus represented a promise of transformative learning opportunities.
“Here, students are able to collaborate and innovate, not just one with one another but also with our incredible faculty and staff, and our community partners who share our passion for discovery, creativity, and lifelong learning,” said Schara, a senior double majoring in Violin Performance and History, with a minor in Statistics and Data Science.
