Site

Located on the campus of a small state college in west-central Florida, the performing arts complex expands an existing collection of 1960s-era auditoriums, classrooms, and music instruction spaces. The project introduces new performance and rehearsal facilities while reinforcing the pedestrian and social fabric of the campus.

Program Challenge

Integrate a new recital hall and performing arts studio into an active campus complex while respecting the character of the original architecture. The project needed to provide intimate, acoustically appropriate venues for smaller performances alongside modern instructional and rehearsal spaces for students and faculty.

Solution

The centerpiece of the expansion is a 150-seat recital hall designed for both amplified and unamplified performances. Sloped floors, fixed theatrical seating, and an acoustically shaped proscenium create an intimate environment well suited for soloists, chamber ensembles, lectures, and community events. A dedicated lobby and pre-function plaza provide direct public access to performances while allowing instructional areas to remain separate from public circulation.

Supporting spaces include modernized percussion and vocal classrooms, faculty offices, and ten individual practice rooms organized around a collaborative student commons that opens to a protected courtyard. The courtyard extends the creative activity of the building outdoors, functioning as both an informal performance venue and student gathering space.

Material and organizational strategies reinforce the hierarchy of the complex. Contrasting yet contextual brick masonry distinguishes the recital hall as the focal point of the addition, while acoustically sensitive spaces are carefully arranged to optimize sound isolation and performance quality. New outdoor plazas and circulation connections integrate the project into the broader campus pedestrian network and create flexible gathering spaces for performances and campus events.