The College of Architecture and Environmental Design is currently housed in three buildings on Kent State’s main campus, but plans are in motion to converge the program into one building.

The Board of Trustees approved the new building at its Wednesday meeting. The $40 million facility will unite all architecture and interior design students under one roof.

Students who register more than 17 credit hours are charged $440 for each additional credit hour.

Isaacson said she does not mind that the university is charging current students to build facilities she will never use as an undergraduate.

“Kent has been really important to me,” Isaacson said. “I’ve learned a lot. I know Kent will be a place I come back to. A lot of alumni come back to teach. I think it’s really important for the school to keep growing. It will make my degree stronger in the long run.”

Overall, response to the new building plans has been positive. Euclide said the building will be one way Kent State connects its campus to downtown.

“Once the building is built, if you were to step out its front doors … you could look to the left and see right downtown,” Euclide said. “It’s amazing how close downtown is when you can see it.”

Steidl also said he hopes the new building will create a better sense of community in Kent.

“It’s a link between the college and citizens,” Steidl said. “That’s what architects do is create spaces that create community.”

Contact Rex Santus at [email protected] and Kirsten Bowers at [email protected].