Purpose

The William H. and Elizabeth Gray Danforth University Center, located between Simon Hall and Mallinckrodt Center, provides a welcoming space for all who participate in the life of the University — students, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors and friends. Social spaces are available for groups to convene and interact in an inviting, dynamic location in the heart of the campus. A Fun Room has been co-designed by students and Communication Arts, Inc. featuring garage doors that can be raised or lowered, modular furniture, chalkboard walls, and high-tech audio-visual equipment. “Ibby would be very pleased by having her name attached to this wonderful center,” said Dr. William H. Danforth. “I have countless warm memories of our years together at Washington University. She would see the new Danforth University Center as a special place where students can gather with their friends and classmates for activities and talks, for learning and for growing.”

Many funding and naming opportunities are available at the DUC. For more information, please contact:

Sherry L. Smith
Associate Director for Capital Projects
314.935.5184
sherry_smith@wustl.edu

Building design

The facility was designed by the architects Tsoi/Kobus and Associates of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and built by Clayco of St. Louis. Communications Arts, Inc., designed three dining areas and the center’s Fun Room. Students were also involved in the design of the DUC since its inception. University administrators took a group of student leaders to the Boulder, Colorado, headquarters of Communication Arts, Inc. to be involved in a charrette that resulted in the concept and design of the Center’s Fun Room. The Danforth University Center provides 522 underground parking spaces, a bus stop, taxi access, and an entrance facing Forsyth Boulevard. Constructed entirely in the collegiate Gothic style, the three-story, 116,000-square-foot facility is modeled in the style of the iconic Brookings Hall. Its exterior spaces are designed with as much style and accessibility as its interior spaces. The building has been designed as a green structure, to be Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-NC Gold Certified. Construction has included the use of many recycled products and materials and more than half of the construction waste was recycled. The William H. and Elizabeth Gray Danforth University Center adheres to the University’s commitment to sustainability, energy and environmental responsibility for the future. The construction was supported in part by a gift from the Danforth Foundation. To date, A.G. Edwards and the Harry Edison Foundation also have provided leadership gifts for the project. Additional fundraising efforts are ongoing to provide the resources needed for the building.

To catch a glimpse of the building's progression from start to finish, please visit our Time Lapse Construction Video page.

Dining areas

The style and menus of the eateries in the DUC were chosen based on student input. The Office of Student Activities sponsored a naming contest for five of the dining venues located on the main level. More than 450 name submissions were received from 115 different members of the WUSTL community. Online voting helped narrow the decision for a committee of three students and three staff members to decide the final names. The names selected were 1853 Diner, Trattoria Verde, DeliciOSO, Wash U. Wok, and George’s Express. Winning submissions came from a parent, alumni, current students, and faculty and staff.