Located in the heart of campus, the Collegiate Gothic style Arts, Research and Culture House (ARCH) building has been renovated, restored and expanded to transform the building into a vibrant annex to the Houston Hall campus center. A landmark structure with unusually fine architectural characteristics, it has served as a meeting place, cafeteria and lounge since it was built in 1928. The renovation provides larger, modernized offices for Asian, Black, and Latino student groups and the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. The expansion includes an outdoor terrace on Locust Walk, an indoor cafe with lounge seating and gallery space, and a common living room. The auditorium on the second floor is now an interactive teaching-learning environment, incorporating technologically-sophisticated features as well as a high-tech, flexible seating system to accommodate transitions between teaching, performance and banquet functions.
