Academic Center at Julia Rogers

The renovation of Julia Rogers transforms a long-vacant library into a dynamic new academic hub for Goucher College. Originally constructed in phases in 1952 and 1967, the building sat unused after library functions moved to the Athenaeum in 2009. With growing enrollment and the need for modern learning environments, the College embraced the opportunity to repurpose Julia Rogers as a 65,000 SF center for teaching, collaboration, and faculty engagement.

Client

Goucher College

Location

Towson, MD

Size

63,000 sf

Completed

2013

STATUS

Built

The reimagined building establishes a centrally located academic anchor between Van Meter, home to the humanities and social sciences, and Hoffberger, which houses the sciences. By opening new entrances at both ends, the project creates vital connections across campus and fosters interaction between disciplines.

The Academic Center provides technology-rich classrooms, advanced teaching labs, flexible seminar rooms, and 77 full-time faculty offices, alongside informal gathering areas that encourage collaboration and experiential learning. New adjacencies strengthen interdisciplinary connections, while the Academic Center for Excellence and the Welch Center for graduate and continuing studies expand opportunities for diverse student populations.

Sustainable strategies were integral to the design, with energy-efficient systems and a new mechanical addition supporting a minimum of LEED Silver certification. The building’s adaptive reuse demonstrates a strategic, resourceful approach—turning an underutilized mid-century structure into a high-performing academic environment that will serve students and faculty for decades to come.