Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts
Supporting Spelman College’s vision for a premier cross-disciplinary space that empowers women of African descent through innovation and creativity.
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Project Details
Defining the Future at a Renowned HBCU Institution
Spelman College's first new academic building in nearly 25 years, the Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts supports students studying dance, filmmaking, photography, theater and music. The four-story center includes cutting-edge art studios, exhibition galleries, collaborative workspaces and a publicly accessible performance hall. It also houses the Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab, dedicated to ideation, experimentation and interdisciplinary creativity.
At the heart of the building is "The Forum" — a multi-use atrium designed as a central gathering space, visible from across the facility and ideal for interactive design performances and events.
We provided structural design and façade engineering services to Studio Gang for the 105,000-square-foot facility. The facility was formally dedicated in May 2025.
Highlights
- The steel framed, 4-story building includes AESS steel and a pedestrian access bridge.
- Our façade engineering scope included consultation on all façade systems, including bird protective glazing, acoustically enhanced façade systems for sound isolation at music spaces and an AESS lightweight solar shade structure.
- The façade treatments were selected carefully with the palette of the historic campus in mind.
- The solar shade cantilevers over 12 feet off the building facade at the southwest corner.
Our Team
