University of Cincinnati Clifton Court Hall Cincinnati, Ohio

Services Provided

Campus Planning & Design
Construction Documentation

People Involved

Rick Espe
Kevin Dicke
Jordan Furlong

New academic building bridges gap in connectivity, formal campus environment, and expansion of west campus.

University of Cincinnati’s Clifton Court Hall is located on a prominent portion of the Academic Ridge, at the corner of Clifton Avenue and Clifton Court Drive. The site transitions from the pastoral landscape of Burnet Woods into the more formal campus green fronting McMicken Hall. It will become ma major entry point located near public transportation and supporting the westward expansion of main campus. Clifton Court Hall provides a fresh and exciting “face” and connectivity hub. The surrounding landscape and pathways connect the “Main Street” of campus to Clifton Avenue and the development of university facilities which has expanded to the west side of Clifton.

Clifton Court Hall features classrooms designed to support ‘active learning,’ faculty and staff offices, research spaces, and collaborative space to enhance interdisciplinary engagement within the university’s College of Art & Sciences. The new 180,000 square foot facility houses a variety of departments including Psychology, Communications, Journalism and Languages, among others. Every aspect of the design encourages collaboration and provides flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing and evolving co-curricular opportunities. The new building includes accessible access into the building on three grade levels from the outdoors, a 150-seat lecture hall, a large multipurpose space, a student lounge, and a pedestrian bridge linking Clifton Court to McMicken Hall. The “North Porch” provides a protected main entry into the building and the “South Porch” terrace, provides a place of respite for students, faculty and staff, as well as opportunity for larger functions and gatherings.

The building has been designed to incorporate several sustainability strategies, targeting LEED Silver certification with the USGBC. As Landscape Architect, MKSK provided full design services from schematic design through construction documentation and implementation as part of the multidisciplinary team.