Gallery
Description
The first Catholic institution to be established in the U.S. in half a century, Ave Maria University, part of what will be a new college town near Naples, FL, will serve 5,000 students on its 750-acre campus. A 1,100-seat landmark Oratory, a soaring focal point, serves as the symbolic and physical heart of both town and university.
The design of the site and campus buildings reflect the university founder and principal benefactor’s advocacy for the design principles of Frank Lloyd Wright, with clean horizontal lines, natural materials, and extensive landscaping. The individual scale and massing of each building is deliberately modulated to reflect its specific program of use and to create a distinct sense of place. Surrounding the Oratory is a science, math, and technology building, a library, and a graduate academic center. The residential zone includes five undergraduate and two graduate dormitories; a recreation zone separates student activity and student recreation centers. A central plant and K-12 school complete the first phase.