UCO College of Liberal Arts
Sector
Education
Location
Edmond, OK
Year Completed
2019
The University of Central Oklahoma’s College of Liberal Arts remodel was a transformative 55,000 sq ft addition and renovation to the existing Liberal Arts Building.
This three‑level project, part of a broader $18.3 million investment funded via a master lease bond, marked the first major update in the building’s 50‑year history, addressing critical issues like ADA compliance and overcrowding while enhancing the impact of foundational disciplines such as English, history, and political science.
Central to the design is a nearly three‑story-tall atrium open to events and student gatherings, featuring an open study staircase that visually and physically connects multiple floors.
“Many of the ideas and concepts we got are from how the Dean and the students wanted to interact in the building.”
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Principal Architect Don Beck
The addition includes 15 new classrooms, 30 faculty and staff offices, a state-of-the-art lecture hall, which is acoustically isolated within an art gallery, and a café, supports approximately 5,000 students passing through daily.
“The disciplines taught here will now have adequate space needed for teaching and learning, for collaboration, and for formal and informal gatherings; the space that will reflect the College of Liberal Arts’ central value to the university.”
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Former UCO President Don Betz
With upgraded systems, balanced interiors that subtly reflect UCO’s blue and bronze identity, and thoughtful design that emerged from listening to campus stakeholders, the Liberal Arts remodel exemplifies how mission-driven architecture can elevate educational space and student success.
