ARIZONA CENTER FOR
LAW AND SOCIETY
PHOENIX AZ
UNIVERSITY
2014
WITH ENNEAD ARCHITECTS
While at Ennead Architects, Eliza played a lead role in the design of a new building for Arizona State University’s Law School. The primary goal of the project was to create a modern day law school that makes law more accessible to the public. The building is sliced open to create a public plaza for both the school users as well as Phoenix’s growing downtown population. This connected and activated what was a dead zone in downtown. In addition to serving as the new home for the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, the building also houses several other organizations and centers open to the public to learn about law and justice in today’s society.
The building’s skin peels up on each corner to reveal a variety of public spaces: a bookstore, restaurant, a covered seating area and the ASU Alumni Law group, a teaching law firm that also gives the community access to affordable legal services.
The facade is made from local sandstone and glass panels. The size of glazing corresponds to the program inside - gathering and common spaces have larger glass panels while private offices have smaller glass panels. Vertical fins shade the windows on the east and west sides to reduce solar heat gain and cooling loads as well as to reduce glare.
The organization of the school revolves around three central spaces - a great hall, a central library space, and a planted courtyard. The great hall on the ground floor converts between a casual lounge space to a formal auditorium. It has a massive bi-fold door that connects the great hall to the outdoor plaza for large public and university events. Open air bridges connect the two parts of the building together creating a seamless indoor-outdoor experience throughout the building.