UMSL Richter Family Welcome & Alumni Center

St. Louis, MO

2026

The Gap

The Seed

The Sprout

The UMSL campus master plan identified a clear need and a clear opportunity in the same moment: a former JCPenney building on Alumni Circle that could become the university's front door. The site had no legible arrival sequence, no accessible parking route, significant grade changes across the adjacent parcels, and no outdoor spaces that reflected the building's intended civic role.

Gap

Seed

Sprout

The UMSL campus master plan identified a clear need and a clear opportunity in the same moment: a former JCPenney building on Alumni Circle that could become the university's front door. The site had no legible arrival sequence, no accessible parking route, significant grade changes across the adjacent parcels, and no outdoor spaces that reflected the building's intended civic role.

A Site That Does the Work

The Richter Family Welcome & Alumni Center began with a master plan observation: a former JCPenney building on Alumni Circle was well-positioned to become UMSL's primary point of arrival. The architecture — a 31,000 SF renovation addition - designed by LJC Design and Engineering, and repurposing housing the Office of Admissions, the Alumni Association, and the Office of Alumni Engagement — established the program. The landscape architecture task was to ensure that the site could deliver on what the building promised.

Client

University of Missouri St. Louis

Size

31,000 SF

Acknowledgement

Work Completed by the Kanopi Gap team while Employed at LJC Design & Engineering

Gallery

Gallery image 1

Team

Collaborators

Team

Collaborators

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