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Student Academic and Administration Building for the UTRGV campus.

Our new classroom and admin building is the welcoming new “front door” to the UTRGV campus.

Located at the southern edge of the University of Texas Pan American Campus, now part of UT Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), this new building comprises a multi-purpose room, classrooms, departmental offices, and faculty offices. It has been strategically placed to sit comfortably on the site and be a fitting addition to the front of this satellite campus in the Rio Grande Valley. The design ensures seamless integration into the brick aesthetic of the campus, reflecting an architectural approach that is considerate of the surroundings.

Located at the southern edge of the University of Texas Pan American Campus, now part of UT Rio Grande Valley (UT RGV), this building has been carefully designed to seamlessly integrate into the existing campus environment. Its strategic placement among buildings with a common material palette reflects a thoughtful approach to scale, massing, and detailing. The design takes full advantage of the garden-like quality and carefully landscaped campus, enhancing the overall aesthetic harmony.

The building, designed to reflect the campus’s brick aesthetic, comprises a multi-purpose room and classrooms on the first level, classrooms, the Dean’s suite, and faculty offices on the second level, and offices for international programs and a writing center on the third floor. This purposeful division of spaces ensures a functional layout that caters to various academic needs while maintaining a cohesive architectural language with adjacent structures.

A student-centric focus is evident in the building’s design, featuring areas for studying equipped with ample connectivity for electronic devices. Serving as a central hub for academic activities, the structure embodies the university’s commitment to providing not just functional but also graceful spaces for learning and collaboration.

In summary, the building not only meets practical requirements, offering classrooms, offices, and support spaces, but also reflects a conscious effort to integrate with the existing campus architecture. It creates an environment that not only respects the surroundings but also fosters a sense of community and collaboration, aligning with the university’s commitment to an enriching educational experience.

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University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, Texas
40,700 SF
Completed 2014

New Academic Building and Student Center integrates into campus context
A variety of seating options and small study areas in the Student Center
The vocabulary of the architecture itself — and Bentsen designed nearly 20 of the campus’ buildings — is based on Louis Kahn’s work in Ahmedabad, India, and Dacca, Bangladesh: heavily walled and well-detailed brick buildings with arched apertures that sit comfortably in the sultry climate of South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley.

Aaron Seward, The Architect’s Newspaper, August 2014

Meticulously crafted brick walls and expansive buttressed arched openings
Blending tradition with contemporary expression

Project Team

Consultants

Structural Engineer | Jaster Quintanilla
MEP | H2MG
Civil | Perez Consulting Engineers
Landscape | Bender Wells Clark Design
Cost | Project Cost Resources
Code/Life Safety | Aon Fire Protection Engineers

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