Spes Unica Hall

Spes Unica Hall Opens: Faculty and staff move into state-of-the-art academic facility

Builders broke ground on Spes Unica Hall, the newest addition to the Saint Mary’s campus, in the fall of 2006. Two years and one successfully completed fundraising effort later, the building is open for the school year. This week faculty and staff move in to Spes Unica, marking a continuation of close collaboration between students, faculty, and staff, in a bright new space.

“Spes Unica is a great addition to the campus,” says Karen Johnson, Vice President for Student Affairs. “Not only is it a state-of-the-art academic facility, there are many meeting space and small nooks for studying.” The building includes state of the art classroom, laboratory, and office space, as well as common areas where students and faculty can gather (including a café, a reflection room, and a second-floor patio). It will house 13 departments and the three Centers of Distinction: the Center for Academic Innovation (CFAI), the Center for Spirituality (CFS), and the Center for Women’s InterCultural Leadership (CWIL). “This building will provide many opportunities for active learning and engagement between faculty and students,” adds Johnson.

Spes Unica Hall was built using “green” or environmentally-friendly elements including large areas of glass to maximize natural light, and operable windows for optimal air flow. It was designed by Ballinger Architects of Philadelphia and Architecture Design Group of South Bend.

The overall effect of these elements is a building filled with light and open space, ideal for learning. “Collaborative work requires the kind of spaces that will be found in this new building,” says President Carol Ann Mooney ’72. “This first-rate facility will match the quality of our faculty and reflect the value that we place on them and on the learning environment for our students.”

Classes begin in Spes Unica and all classroom buildings on August 25. Visit our Gallery to view photos of the new building.