The new student center serves to activate campus life by transforming a once underused area into a central social hub for the Caltech community.  Respecting the historically significant context of the Olive Walk, the project was originally conceived as a renovation of a mid-century building.  Through collaborative analysis between owner/builder/architect, it was identified that a replacement building would be both economically sound and more fully aligned with the Institute’s mission of creating a collegial, interdisciplinary environment. The new LEED Platinum designed center provides a bookstore, café and lounge, multi-purpose lecture hall, music rehearsal hall, club rooms, and a large outdoor patio which engages and connects the center of campus radially. Already highly integrated into the campus as a space for gathering and exchange,  the new student center has been proclaimed by Institute leadership as "the building that should have always been there."