From the 2025 Educational Interiors Showcase: Andrea-Mennen Welcome Center
Key Highlights
- A central bridge connects the Academic Building and Library, serving as both a functional passageway and architectural focal point.
- Electrochromic glass controls solar exposure and addresses design challenges posed by the building's east-west orientation.
The Andrea-Mennen Welcome Center at Collin College in McKinney, Texas, serves as a logistical hub that connects the Academic Building and Library via a bridge that acts as an architectural centerpiece and functional passageway. As the campus “front door,” the Welcome Center presented unique design challenges. Because of the center’s east-west orientation, electrochromic glass was used to manage solar exposure. The interior reflects the upscale aesthetic of local corporate architecture, using wood, terrazzo and layered lighting to harmonize with the surrounding landscape. Arched windows echo adjacent buildings; where glass technology limited curvature, segmented arches were used.
Read more about the Andrea-Mennen Welcome Center and view a photo gallery at SchoolDesigns.com.