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Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Pennsylvania State University, Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building

University Park, Pennsylvania

Penn State University’s first new liberal arts building in more than 50 years will co-locate multiple academic departments, with wet and dry lab spaces, faculty offices, research centers, and a new home for the Matson Museum of Anthropology.

©Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
©Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
©Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
©Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
“For students, the Susan Welch Building will become their newest ‘place to find their place’ — a modern, innovative hub of scholarship, research and social activity where undergraduate and graduate students alike have the chance to learn and work alongside faculty; forge friendships and create a sense of community; and prepare for whatever personal or professional journeys await them.”
Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts

Project Information

SIZE

144,350 square feet

COMPLETED

2025

PRESS

Pennsylvania State University, Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building Hosts ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony

Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building Sneak Peek

The Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building is named in honor of Susan Welch, who served as the dean of the college from 1991 until 2019. The 144,350 square-foot project houses the departments of Anthropology, Sociology/Criminology, and Political Science, as well as the School of Public Policy, the Population Research Center, and the Social Science Research Institute. By bringing together disciplines previously distributed across campus, the building helps break down silos and encourages interdepartmental interaction. At the east end of the building, private and open collaboration spaces, including workplaces for research, are provided for graduate students. Department conference rooms to the west look out onto the restored campus landscape. Prioritizing interior views into specialty labs created opportunities for ‘science on display,’ showcasing Penn State’s Anthropology Department, the leading program of its kind in the nation.

Site planning and design responded to the University’s desire to respect the scale and character of an adjacent historic residential neighborhood and preserve heritage oak trees, while creating an outdoor environment in dialogue with the history of the region. Collaborating with members of the University’s Anthropology department, the project team integrated Native American heritage on the site, including a symbolic council ring, inspired by ceremonial tribal leader gatherings, with a White Pine located near the east entrance. The pre-planned reforestation of an area adjacent to the site serves as part of a campus carbon sequestration strategy, while reducing the overall building footprint to maintain space for new landscape. Deep vertical fins and bird-safe glass were strategically incorporated into key locations on the Susan Welch Building’s facade, based on a threat analysis to address the areas of greatest concern, and will aid in deterring strikes in an area with a significant avian population.

The Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building is targeting LEED Silver Certification with a focus on reducing both embodied and operational carbon. In addition to improving the ecological health of a prominent campus site, the design incorporates Low VOC and durable materials, a high-performance building envelope, and daylit spaces with visual connections to the outdoors, contributing to a healthy environment for students and faculty.