Florida International University - Student Academic Success Center

At Florida International University—where nearly 90% of students identify as minority or international—the Student Academic Support Center serves as a critical first point of contact for students and their families.

Designed around the themes of transparency and engagement, the building supports students as they navigate the complexities of enrollment, orientation, and academic life.

The project is organized into two distinct masses: the Welcome Complex and the Support Tower. Each is clearly articulated and highly visible, simplifying wayfinding and encouraging connection.

Anchored by a raised plaza aligned with the main campus entry, the Welcome Complex functions as an orientation hub for prospective students and families, offering a transparent and welcoming arrival experience. It includes a prominent auditorium that hosts university-wide events, campus tours, and presentations.

The Support Tower brings together a wide range of services under one roof—including academic advising, financial aid, graduate studies, honors programs, immigration support, and career placement. These programs are organized around a central multi-story atrium that fosters openness and connection.

As a relatively young campus, FIU lacks a consistent architectural context, but its unique identity is found in its outdoor experience—specifically, the shaded palm groves that guide movement across campus. Inspired by this vernacular, the building’s eastern and western façades are wrapped in precast concrete “fronds” that modulate light, views, and heat. Their shifting geometry gives the Support Tower a dynamic presence that seems to open and close as one moves across campus, echoing the experience of walking beneath the palms.