WACO – Global design-build firm Populous and J.T. Vaughn Construction have completed the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center, a civic project at Baylor University at the corner of I-35 and University Parks Dr.
The center has 17,000 sf of meeting space, including a 13,560-sf ballroom, a 1,800-sf alumni meeting suite, and a 2,850-sf auditorium. It also has a 23,500-sf grand hall.
Four 96-foot columns start on the interior floor of the center and go through the building’s roof. The columns are representative of the school’s four pillars while also referencing Baylor’s original campus in Independence, Texas.
One of the columns includes a half-globe LED screen.
The center opened its doors Sept. 8, and retail space inside will open this fall.