Fort Lewis College Student Union

Surrounding dramatic landscape inspires the character of a campus green and outdoor gathering spaces

The campus of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, is marked by a series of independent building projects that over time had resulted in a landscape that lacked identity as well as outdoor spaces that encouraged student and faculty interaction.

Wenk Associates developed a site plan for the campus’ central quadrangle that included a new LEED-Gold certified Student Union Building. The design creates a linear campus green in front of the main Library and Student Union for gathering and an outdoor dining terrace that looks over the quad. The space can also be used for larger, staged campus events. The landscape plan creates a wildflower meadow, an alumni garden, and a native display garden that is used for teaching by the College’s biology department. The landscape solution minimizes water consumption, treats stormwater runoff, and better integrates the campus environment with the dramatic natural landscape that surrounds the College.